Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Toxoplasma Gondii Infection among Antenatal Women in Zaria, Nigeria

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii infection duri ng pregnanc y represents the ri sk for congenit al infection. Serological screening of pregnant women f or T. go ndii is not a routine antenatal ex amination in health centers in Zaria Nigeria. This study was therefore conducted to determine the prevalence of anti- T. gondii IgG and I gM antibodies among pregnant women in Zaria and t he risk factors for infection. A t otal of 374 serum samples of which 202 and 172 from Sabon G ari and Zaria Lo cal Government Areas respectively were collected from antenatal women. The samp les were analyzed using s pecific T oxo IgG and IgM EIA kits. Information on sociodemographic dat a a nd r isk f actors were obt ained using structured ques tionnaire. The prevalence rates w ere 29.1% and 0.8% for a nti- T.gondii IgG and IgM antibodies re spectively. Multivariate analysis showed t hat there was an association between tasting o f meat while cooking and T. gondii infection among antenatal women in Zaria. (OR=1.9; 95% CI=1.078, 3.358; P= 0.027). Seropositivity was found to increase w ith a ge (OR=0.378; 95% CI=0.182, 0.787, P=0.009) an d decrease with level of formal education (O R=2.52; 95% CI=1.188, 5.331, P=0.016). Infection was found to vary with different source of drinking water. Seroprevalence was higher in those drinking well water (41.6%) and lowest in the group that drank packaged water (20.8%) (OR=3.32; 95% CI=1.568, 6.660, P=0.001).The st udy also reveal ed that 39.0% of the i nfection i n ant enatal women was attributed to tasting of meat while c ooking. Other c haracteristics such as owning/housing of cats, history of cleaning of cat feces, type o f meat consumed and working i n t he f arm did not show any association wi th T. g ondii infection.