Prevalence of Toxoplasmosis in Patients Admitted to Outpatient Department in Markaze Tebi Koudakan

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis affecting both human beings and some animal species, and it is caused by coccidia, toxoplasma gondii. Human infection by toxoplasma has worldwide spread and its prevalence varies from zero to ninety percent from a region to the other depending on the geographical situation, people behavioral and nutritional habits.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of toxoplasma infection in patients admitted to outpatient department in Markaze Tebbi Koudakan, Tehran.

This was a descriptive, analytical and cross- sectional case study, carried out on 446 blood samples which were collected from individuals admitted to outpatient department in Markaze Tebbi Koudakan (Children Medical Center in Tehran). For each individual a questionnaire was filled in, then two finger prick samples were taken and serologically tested by indirect fluorescent antibody technique using 1:20, 1:100 and 1:200 serum dilutions. Any positive serum in 1:200 dilutions was rechecked for final dilution. Serum dilution of 1:20 and more was considered as a cut - point for the infection.

A total of 25 persons (5.6 percent) showed positive titers from 1:20 to 1:800 and 421 persons (94.4 percent) showed no antibody titer and were sero – negative. Although the prevalence rate of infection in males was more than females (6 and 5.1 percent respectively), there was no statistical significance between them. The seropositive rate in children below two years was zero and it seems there is a trend toward increasing seropositivity by aging. The highest prevalence rate (10. 8 percent) was observed in 10-13 year age group. No statistical significance was found between the seropositivity rate and contact with cats,consumption of improperly cooked meat and raw vegetables. We believe that the quality of washing and disinfecting vegetables are efficient and important factors, the findings proved that in 17 positive cases (77.3%) the vegetables were washed by pure water and only 5 cases (22.7%) consumed disinfected vegetables.

Although no statistical significance was found between the seropositivity rate and clinical signs (strabism, microcephally, … ), but by using Chi- Square and Fischer tests, there was statistically significant between lymphoadenopathy and toxoplasmosis. Considering the calculation of odds ratio with a confidence interval of 90% it was found that the possibility of being infected by Toxoplasma gondii in people who are involved with lymphoadenopathy was six times more than those who were not.