Toxoplasmosis among blood donors: Unsafe blood transfusion in ibadan, southwest nigeria

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In Nigeria, there is paucity of data on transfusion-transmissible parasitic infections that can cause post-transfusion illness, especially in immunocompromised and transfusion-dependent patients. This study was designed to bridge the gap by screening for Toxoplasma gondii which can be transmitted by blood transfusion. OBJECTIVES: The main objective of the study is to employ serology methods to screen blood donor's serum for T. gondii, in Blood Bank Transfusion Service Centre, Southwest Nigeria MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. Donor sera were tested for T. gondii infection using IgG and IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test kits. RESULTS: A total of 248 donated blood sera were tested for T. gondii infection after storage. The seroprevalence of T.gondii IgG and IgM was 19.8% and 42.7%, respectively. There was a significant difference in anti-T. gondii IgM seroprevalence between vegetarian and generalists (3.2% vs. 40.8%; P < 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The anti-T. gondii IgM prevalence was relatively higher compared to anti-T. gondii IgG, implying the majority of seropositive donors had an acute or recent infection, might seroconvert to chronic infection. There was a lower seropositivity of T.gondii among vegetarian.