[Sero-prevalence of toxoplasma gondii infection among women in first trimester of pregnancy of women in Razavi- Khorasan Province]

Introduction and Aims: toxoplasmosis is a usual infection caused by the intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Primary infections during pregnancy are usually asymptomatic for the pregnant woman but can cause severe neonatal problems. This study designed to determine seroprevalence of IgG and IgM and its related factors among first trimester pregnant women referring to health centers of Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran

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Materials and Methods: in this cross sectional study 786 serum samples were collected from pregnant women aged from 15 to 46 years in Khorasan Razavi province, during 2013-2014. The seroprevalence IgG and IgM antibodies were measured by using of commercial kit in both urban and rural areas and data were analyzed using the SPSS v.19

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Results: the seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to T. gondii was 31.17% while IgM seroprevalence was 5.47% and 1.65% were positive for both IgG and IgM antibodies. The seroprevalence of T. gondii is directly proportional to the age, but inversely proportional to education and there was not any significant difference between urban and rural areas

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Conclusion: sero-prevalence of T. gondii-specific antibodies is nearly high among pregnant women in Razavi-Khorasan province with a significant ratio of women at risk of T. gondii infections. Screening of T. gondii infections during antenatal care should be considered in this area as the chief strategy to diminish congenital toxoplasmosis