Toxoplasmosis infection in the pregnant women in the first half of pregnancy, in Kamyaran in 2008

Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii which is an obligate intracellular parasite. Toxoplasmosis in the first trimester of pregnancy can lead to dangerous fetal complications. After diagnosis of toxoplasmosis, proper treatment or curettage of the fetus should be attempted in order to prevent long term disabilities in the newborn. The aim of this study was to determine IgM and IgG anti toxoplasma antibodies in pregnant women in the first trimester. This was a discriptive analytic study. 201 blood samples were obtained from pregnant women in the first trimester. Anti toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies were measured by ELISA method and data were analyzed by use of descriptive statistics. In this study, 24 subjects (12%) were IgM positive, 54 (27%) IgG positive and 33 (16.5%) were positive for both IgM and IgG antibodies. In general 55% of pregnant women were seropositive for IgM, IgG or both. The results of this study showed a significant relation between education level and serum levels of anti toxopalsma antibodies (P≤0.05), but no significant relationship was found between: occupation, contact with cats or other pets, consumption of unwashed fruits and vegetables, raw or underdone meat and raw milk with presence of toxoplasmosis. Considering the high prevalence of serum anti toxoplasma antibodies in pregnant women in the first trimester, screening of the pregnant women in the first trimester is necessary to prevent fetal complications or to take therapeutic measures for the affected newborns.