Toxoplasmosis in Pregnant women in Sanliurfa, Southeastern Anatolia City, Turkey

Blood samples from 1149 pregnant women [age 26.9 +/- 5.3 years, mean of 20-week gestation] on their first prenatal visit to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department and analyzed for Taxoplasma-specific immunoglobulin [IgM] and immunoglobulin [IgG] by ELSA. A total of 694 of the women was IgG- positive, indicating previous maternal infection, while 35 were IgM-positive, indicating recent infection, and 420 were sero-negative. The high sera-positive rate may be linked to the traditional raw meat consumption. Treatment with spiramycin was effective in preventing congenital toxoplasmosis in children of sero-positive mothers who consented to treatment