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Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women in west Iran: determined by ELISA and PCR analysis

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Abstract

Congenital toxoplasmosis can lead to severe damage for the fetus and newborn. Considering that the seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma infection in the pregnant women is poorly studied in west of Iran, the main objective of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence and potential risk factors for congenital toxoplasmosis in Delfan, Iran. In this cross-sectional study, the serum samples obtained from pregnant women who were referred to health centers for routine monitoring of the pregnancy. Totally, 264 sera were screened for IgG and IgM anti-T. gondii antibodies by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay method. All women with IgM anti-T. gondii positive checked by RT-PCR and confirmed. In addition, structured questionnaires were used to obtain information on risk factors for T. gondii infection. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM were positive in 66 (25 %) and 15 (5.7 %) respectively. Seropositive subjects were more frequently seen in those with >30 years old compared to younger women (<25 years old) (p < 0.001). No significant relationship was found between the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection and level of education, and gestational age (p > 0.05), while there was statistical difference between the infection with cat exposure, consumption of raw/undercooked meat, eating raw or uncooked eggs, consumption of unwashed vegetables and drinking unpasteurized milk (p < 0.001). In the present study, it was found that T. gondii infection was present among pregnant women in west of Iran. Therefore, it is suggested to provide health education for preventing primary infection during pregnancy and subsequently congenital toxoplasmosis in the pregnant women.

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Acknowledgments

The present work was based on a thesis defended at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). This study was supported by TUMS Grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Gholam Reza Ahmadpour, Ramtin Hadighi, Hormoz Oormazdi, Lame Akhlaghi & Fatemeh Tabatabaei

  2. Razi Herbal Medicines Research Center, Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran

    Behrouz Ezatpour, Mozafar Mohammadi Nejad & Hossein Mahmoudvand

  3. Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

    Mehdi Azami

Authors
  1. Gholam Reza Ahmadpour
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  2. Behrouz Ezatpour
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  3. Ramtin Hadighi
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  4. Hormoz Oormazdi
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  5. Lame Akhlaghi
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  6. Fatemeh Tabatabaei
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  7. Mehdi Azami
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  8. Mozafar Mohammadi Nejad
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  9. Hossein Mahmoudvand
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Correspondence to Behrouz Ezatpour.

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Ahmadpour, G.R., Ezatpour, B., Hadighi, R. et al. Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women in west Iran: determined by ELISA and PCR analysis. J Parasit Dis 41, 237–242 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-016-0784-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12639-016-0784-3

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