Assessment of pregnant women toxoplasmosis by ELISA method in Miandoab city, Iran

Abstract

Objectives: Immunity to Toxoplasma gondii infection is known to be a critical point for women during pregnancy. Non immune pregnant women may at risk to be infected with the parasite. The parasite can be transmitted via placenta and causes adverse effects in fetus. The main objective of the present work was to study sero-prevalence of Toxoplasma infection in pregnant women referred to Health Center in Miandoab. Materials and Methods: Totally 200 blood samples were collected from 18-40 years pregnant women referred to Health Center in Miandoab during one year. The sera were tested for IgG and IgM titration with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. In addition, demographic characteristics of the women were obtained through appropriate questionnaires. Results: Positive IgG and IgM titers were identified in the sera of (39.5%) and (2.5%), of the pregnant women, respectively. The higher frequency of positive titers was associated with older age. In addition, 94.42% of the women with positive titer had a history of contact with cats. Conclusion: Regarding the prevalence rate of 60% in non-immune pregnant women in Miandoab, the preventive measurements in nutrition and contact with cats should be considered by the women. We recommend the sera of the pregnant women should be monitored for Toxoplasma infection at least once a pregnancy period, particularly during the first trimesters of pregnancy.