Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Toxoplasmosis among Pregnant Women in District Hyderabad, Sindh PakistanSeroprevalence and Risk Factors of Toxoplasmosis among Pregnant Women in District Hyderabad, Sindh Pakistan

Abstract

Background: The parasite Toxoplasma gondii causes toxoplasmosis all over the world. Past research has associated T. gondii with problems such as abortions, stillbirths, poor nutrition, anemia and low blood in animals. Women in the first trimester are at risk from toxoplasmosis.

Objectives: We were interested in learning how many pregnant women have toxoplasmosis and what variables may contribute to this.

Methods: The study took 220 blood samples from pregnant women in District Hyderabad, Sindh, selected randomly, to determine how common these women were with T. gondii using ELISA.

Results: The results show that seroprevalence among pregnant women was 12.27% (n= 27/220). Seropositivity differed significantly (P < 0.05) between people from rural 15.87% and urban 7.44% areas. Women who tested serologically positive were more likely to eat undercooked meats (23.64%) and unwashed vegetables or fruit (28%).

Conclusion: Ageing, lower education, living with others and some types of employment in soil were associated with T. gondii infection by multivariate analysis.