Abstract
The present study aims to investigate the seroprevalence rate of Toxoplasma gondii infection and its relation to some demographic factors among males in Duhok province/Iraq. A total of 424 random blood samples were collected from the male population of different ages (18-60) years and different social-economic classes. Out of 424 samples examined, 108 (25.47%) were seropositive to the anti- T. gondii antibodies; 88 (20.75%) were found seropositive for IgG, while 20 (4.72%) samples were seropositive for IgM. Regarding occupation, the highest percentage for chronic toxoplasmosis was reported in workers followed by policemen and pensioners at rates of 23.96%, 23.6%, and 23.07%, respectively. The age group 18-30 years showed the highest seropositive rate which was 26.6%; the seropositivity rate decreased with the increase of age. Regarding the blood groups, the highest percentage of IgG was reported in both O+ and B- groups, which were 23.2% and 23.1%, respectively. The higher rate of seropositivity was observed among married males (21.32%) as compared to unmarried males (19.05%) and fertile (22.3%) versus sterile males (12.5%). Concerning IgM antibodies, the highest seropositivity (9.4%) was reported in infertile males. The results of this study showed the importance of demographic factors to the epidemiology of T. gondii in males, which support the role of public health in the control of infectious diseases.
Highlights
Toxoplasmosis is a significant zoonotic disease caused by an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite called Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), which causes infections in all warm-blooded animals [1]
Using ELISA technique, Sarmad [16] reported a high rate (22.73%) of toxoplasmosis among farmers living in Erbil province and attributed it to their direct contact with soil contaminated with sporulated oocysts
The present study can be considered as an initial step in Duhok province to investigate the prevalence of toxoplasmosis among males from different ages, socioeconomic classes, and relation to demographic factors
Summary
Toxoplasmosis is a significant zoonotic disease caused by an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite called Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), which causes infections in all warm-blooded animals [1]. Toxoplasmosis has a worldwide distribution, and it’s been estimated that T. gondii infects about one-third of the human population [2]. There is a worldwide variation in the prevalence of toxoplasmosis, being higher in underdeveloped countries than developed ones [4]. This variation in prevalence can be explained by several factors including the climate, number and presence of cats, age, nutritional and factors, and cultural and ethnic practices [5, 6]. Direct contact with cats is not required for transmission due to the longevity of oocysts in the environment [5]
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