Abstract
Background: Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite of significant public health importance, being a major cause of congenital infection and abortion as well as a significant and often fatal infection in the immunocompromised hosts. Infection by T. gondii is usually asymptomatic , but it can be life threatening in fetuses whose mothers are acutely infected during pregnancy.
Objective: To determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma antibodies and the frequency of assumed associated complications among females in childbearing period in the rural community surrounding Benha Faculty of Medicine, Benha University, Qalubeya Governorate, Egypt.
Material and Methods: A total of 338 females were randomly selected from two villages scheduled in the routine Community Service Campaign Program (CSCP) of Benha Faculty of Medicine and from those attending Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, Benha University Hospital. Sera were screened for Toxoplasma IgG and IgM using enzyme immunoassay. One hundred and fifty females in the child bearing period aged from 15 to 49 years who fulfilled detailed history data, were chosen for assessment of the assumed associated risk of Toxoplasma complications, regarding unfavorable outcome of pregnancy.
Results: Of 338 sampled females,165 (46.2% and 17 (5%) were seropositive for anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM, respectively, while out of 150 females in the childbearing period, corresponding results were 87 (58%) and 7 (4.7%), respectively. In the latter group, there was an observable difference in the age prevalence with peaks among 25-29 and 40-49 age groups for IgG positive females and among 25-29 and 45-49 years for IgM positive females, but this difference was statistically insignificant. There was a significant positive correlation between IgG positivity and number of labors and also between IgM positivity and history of congenital anomalies. The risk of abortion, congenital anomalies and stillbirth were insignificantly higher among IgG positive females. In IgM positive group, only an insignificant increased risk of congenital anomalies was observed.
Conclusion: The IgG seroprevalence of T. gondii among females in the childbearing age is relatively high (58%) indicating persistent favoring ecological circumstances. IgM seroprevalence (4.7%) was suggesting a potential considerable risk of primary infection during pregnancy with the subsequent risk of Toxoplasma congenital infection. Hence, it is worth considering routine antenatal screening of females as a mandatory measure, with prompt treatment for sero-converted cases that become infected during pregnancy.
Keywords: Toxoplasmosis, Egypt, Prevalence, Childbearing Females, Qalubeya Governorate.
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