A Seroepidemiological Study of Toxoplasmosis Among Female Students of Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences

Background Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that infects all warm-blooded animals, including humans. Acute infection with Toxoplasma gondii in pregnant women frequently leads to congenital toxoplasmosis which may cause abortion or severe diseases such as premature birth, permanent neurological damage, and visual impairment in the baby. Serological survey in females before marriage can reveal immune status of them against toxoplasmosis. This research aimed to determine the anti-toxoplasma antibodies in female students of Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences, Sabzevar, Iran.
Materials & Methods In this cross-sectional study, 137 blood samples were taken from female students that were randomly selected and used for the measurement of anti-toxoplasma antibodies by ELISA method. Using a researcher-designed questionnaire, information such as consuming grilled and undercooked meat, exposure to cats and residency status was collected. The data analysis was performed by Chi-square test using SPSS.
Results The detected IgG antibodies in 18(13.1%) samples were significant, and no IgM antibody was found in the studied samples. There were no significant differences between infection and factors such as residency status (urban/rural), vegetables consumption, cat keeping, eating underdone and roasted meat (P>0.1).
Conclusion The results of this study revealed that 86.9% of female students were seronegative and at high risk for acquiring infection, thus they should be educated to prevent contracting congenital toxoplasmosis during the period of pregnancy.