Seroepidemiological survey of toxoplasmosis among female university students in Shiraz, southern Iran

Abstract

Background: Seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in different populations in Iran varies according to the people eating behaviors and also geographic and climatic differences of each area. Objective: The current study aimed to provide recent data regarding the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis among female university students in Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, in Fars province, southern Iran. Materials and Methods: The subjects of the study were 503 female university students. Blood samples were collected from each participant and tested for anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies, using a commercial Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA) kit. Demographic characteristics and risk factor related to Toxoplasma were also recorded during the samples collection. Results: The mean age of participants was 22.2 (±3.83) years and the majority (54.9%) of subjects was in the age group of 20-25 years old. Anti T. gondii antibodies was detected in sera of 43 out of 503 enrolled students, corresponding to an overall seroprevalence of 8.5%. Of these, 37 (7.4%) were seropositive for only IgG, 7 (1.4%) were seropositive for only IgM and 1 (0.2%) were seropositive for both IgG and IgM. The differences between age and animal contact with seropositivity to toxoplasmosis were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The findings of the study indicated that more than 90 % of the female university students in this study were seronegative for toxoplasmosis. As these students are in their childbearing age, there is a possibility for their newborns to become infected with Toxoplasma. The control and preventative measurements are necessary to reduce the rate of T. gondii infection in such individuals.