بررسی سرواپیدمیولوژی عفونت توکسوپلاسما گوندی در زنان باردار و عوامل خطر بیماری در استان گلستان

Background and purpose: Toxoplasmosis is a common zoonotic disease that is of particular importance in women before and during pregnancy. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii in pregnant women and its risk factors in Golestan province, north of Iran. Materials and methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in 440 blood samples of pregnant women before delivery (2014-2015). Blood serum samples were isolated to determine IgG and IgM anti-Toxoplasma antibodies and examined by ELISA test. Data analysis was done in SPSS V20 using Chi-square test. Results: Among the samples, 155 (35.2%) were IgG and 25 (5.7%) were IgM positive and 9 (2%) cases were positive for both antibodies. A significant correlation was observed between T. gondii infections with abortion and ethnicity (P<0.05). But, no significant association was seen between T. gondii infection and the place of residence, educational level, age, occupation, contact with cats, exposure to soil, and consumption of half-cooked meat(P>0.05). Conclusion: In this study serological test showed that about 57% of pregnant women had no anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in Golestan province. This means that these people are more prone to acute infection with Toxoplasma. Therefore, there is a need to raise awareness, especially in at-risk groups. &nbsp;