The Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma, Cytomegalovirus and Rubella Infections in Women with Abortion in Kurdistan Region of Iraq: A Brief Report

Abstract

Background: Infection with toxoplasma, cytomegalovirus (CMV) or rubella is associated with negative pregnancy outcomes. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anti-toxoplasma, CMV and rubella IgM antibodies in women with abortion. Methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted in Kurdistan region of Iraq. Samples were collected between January 2015 and October 2018. Women with a recent history of abortion were included in the study and electrical chemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) was used to determine the IgM positivity. Results: Overall, 1275 women were recruited. Amongst these cases, 36 out of 1275 (2.82%) were positive for anti-toxoplasma IgM antibodies. Additionally, 29 out of 1275 (2.27%) of the samples were positive for anti-CMV IgM antibodies, and 22 out of 1275 (1.73%) were positive for anti-Rubella IgM antibodies. Conclusions: The prevalence of toxoplasmosis, CMV, and rubella IgM positivity was low in women with abortion. It seems that infections with these microorganisms are not major causes of abortion in the studied region.