Seroepidemiological Survey of Toxoplasmosis Among Pregnant and Abortive Women of Gonabad

Maternal immunity to Toxoplasma gondii is critical during pregnancy. Non-immunized women may be at the risk of toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. This parasite can pass through the placenta to the fetus and causes severe complications in the fetus. This study aimed to investigate the seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma infection in pregnant women of Gonabad.

Three hundred blood samples were collected from pregnant women and abortive women of 18-40 years old who referred to the health centers and hospitals of Gonabad. The immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody titers were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

The samples were taken from 252 (84.0%) pregnant women and 48 (16.0%) women with abortion. The average age of these women was 29.23 ± 6.24 years. Among these subjects, 56 (22.2%) pregnant women and 15 (31.3%) women with a history of abortion had anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibodies while 196 (77.8%) pregnant women and 33 (68.7%) women with abortion history did not have this specific antibody. Based on the results, 3 (1.2%) pregnant women had IgM antibodies while this antibody was not observed in any woman with a history of abortion. Finally, the prevalence of toxoplasmosis was 23.6%.

According to the results, 76.33% of pregnant and abortive women in Gonabad have no history of Toxoplasma infection. Therefore, they are prone to toxoplasmosis infection during their pregnancies. In this regard, it is necessary to establish public health and preventive actions, as well as a rapid diagnosis to eliminate risk factors during pregnancy