Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara spp. infections among pregnant women with and without previous abortions in the west of Iran

Abstract

Aim In spite of the importance of toxoplasmosis and toxocariasis among the high-risk groups, such as pregnant women, the infections are categorized as a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization. Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara spp. infections can cause systemic and ocular diseases in infants during pregnancy. In this study, we investigated seroprevalence and risk factors of toxoplasmosis, toxocariasis and their co-infection in pregnant women and non-pregnant women referred to the healthcare facilities of Ilam province, west of Iran. Methods A total of 378 sera samples (189 pregnant women and 189 non-pregnant women) was investigated for the presence of IgG antibodies against T. gondii and Toxocara spp. by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The samples of all pregnant women with abortion (56 cases) were also evaluated for IgM anti-toxoplasmosis antibody by ELISA method. Moreover, associated factors were obtained from the participant's questionnaires. Data analysis for this study was performed using the spss software version 20. Results Seroprevalence of T. gondii, Toxocara spp., and their co-infection in pregnant women was 39.7, 21.2 and 9.5, respectively. Regarding the risk factors, the contact with a cat (P = 0.04) and dog (P = 0.00) were significantly associated with T. gondii and Toxocara spp., respectively. Conclusion This study highlighted the importance of serological diagnosis before pregnancy. Moreover, we believe that more epidemiological studies are needed for a better understanding of overlaps between T. gondii and Toxocara spp. in pregnant women.