Occurrence ofToxoplasma gondiiantibodies and associated risk factors in women in selected districts of Punjab province, Pakistan

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic zoonotic disease caused byToxoplasma (T.) gondii. Limited data are available on the occurrence ofT. gondiiin women especially pregnant women in Pakistan. The present study aimed to determine the occurrence and risk factors associated withT. gondiiin pregnant and non-pregnant women in Punjab Province, Pakistan. A cross-sectional study was conducted and 593 samples were collected from pregnant (n= 293) and non-pregnant (n= 300) women of District Headquarter Hospitals of Chiniot, Faisalabad, Jhang and Okara, Pakistan. Data related to demographic parameters and risk factors were collected using a pretested questionnaire on blood sampling day. Serum samples were screened for antibodies (IgG) againstT. gondiiusing ELISA. A univariant and binomial logistic regression was applied to estimate the association between seropositive and explanatory variables considering the 95% confidence interval.Pvalue <= 0.05 was considered statistically significant for all analysis. Out of 593, 44 (7.42%) women were seropositive forT. gondiiIgG antibodies. Occupation, age, sampling location, socioeconomic status, contact with cat, pregnancy status and trimester of pregnancy were significantly associated with seropositivity forT. gondiiantibodies. Location and trimester of pregnancy were identified as potential risk factors forT. gondiiseropositivity based on binomial logistic regression.Toxoplasma gondiiis prevalent in pregnant and non-pregnant women. Therefore, now a necessitated awareness is required to instruct the individuals about these infectious diseases (toxoplasmosis) and their control strategies to maintain the health of human population. Moreover, health awareness among public can help the minimization ofT. gondiiinfection during pregnancy and subsequent risk of congenital toxoplasmosis.