Document Type : Short Communication
Authors
- Mehrdad Rostami 1
- Sanam RezaeiBenam 2
- elham-sadat Roointan 3
- aezoo bozorgomid 4
- Saber Raeghi 5
- Reza Shafiei 6
1 Student Research committee, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
2 Danesh Pathobiology Laboratory, Maragheh, Iran
3 Department of Parasitology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4 Infectious Diseases Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah,
5 Department of Laboratory Sciences, Maragheh University of Medical Sciences, Maragheh, Iran
6 Vector-borne Diseases Research Center, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran
Abstract
Background: Toxoplasmosis is an important zoonotic disease which is caused by protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. This infection is remarkably serious if it occurs during pregnancy and may result in spontaneous abortion or congenital disorders. We investigated the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma infection in student girls in childbearing age using serological methods, and also to determine the association between Toxoplasma infection.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, Blood samples of 348 girl students in childbearing age that study in Maragheh university of medical sciences in a different course that live in three provinces of North West of Iran were taken. Anti- Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies were determined by ELISA and ELFA methods, and the relationship of Toxoplasma infection with demographic characteristics with risk factors was evaluated.
Results: According to serology tests for measuring IgG and IgM by ELISA and ELFA, results are the same and 100 cases (28/73%) were positive for Toxo IgG and 6 cases (1.72%) was positive for Toxo IgM. The results showed that some risk factors such as cat contact and activity like agriculture or contact with soil are significantly (p<0.05) related to T. gondii seropositivity.
Conclusion: More than 70% of the childbearing age girls studied in this investigation are susceptible to infection during pregnancy and performance of regular serological testing during pregnancy and health education about toxoplasmosis before and after gestation are important to prevent the congenital toxoplasmosis.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)