Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma Gondii In Pregnant Women in Attending a Private Hospital in İstanbul

Objective: Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii (T.gondii), an obligate intracellular parasite.Toxoplasmosis can be dangerous for pregnant women in terms of 'Congenital Toxoplasmosis'.This condition may cause spontaneous abortion, foetal death, intrauterine growth retardation, hydrocephalus, neurological, ocular or auditory problems or cardiovascular diseases.The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii IgM and IgG in pregnant women and to compare it with studies conducted in Trkiye. Materials and Methods:Pregnant women between the ages of 18-50 years who applied to our outpatient clinic between 2017 and 2022 and who had T. gondii IgM and IgG results from blood samples in the first trimester were included.Anti-T.gondii IgM and IgG antibodies were analysed in sera of the patients. Results:Of the 2056 pregnant women included in the study, 2033 (98.9%) were IgM negative and 23 (1.1%) were IgM positive.IgG was negative in 1686 (82%) and IgG positive in 370 (18%) of 2056 pregnant women.1671 pregnant women were both IgM and IgG negative, 362 pregnant women were IgM negative but IgG positive, 15 pregnant women were IgM positive but IgG negative and 8 pregnant women were both IgM and IgG positive. Conclusion:The number of foetuses affected by toxoplasmosis can be reduced by determining the seroprevelance of toxoplasmosis in countries with different regions and lifestyles such as our country, screening pregnant women in regions with low rates such as the population admitted to our hospital for toxoplasmosis and informing pregnant women at risk about toxoplasmosis.