A decreasing trend in toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence among pregnant women in Romania�‑�results of a large scale study

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic infection caused by the obligate intracellular apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). T. gondii infection is a cause of congenital infection worldwide. Primary infection or the reactivation of latent infection during pregnancy may lead to fetal infection and to congenital toxoplasmosis syndrome. Seropositive pregnant women are generally protected from maternal-fetal transmission of T. gondii , although exceptions exist. The aim of our study was to analyze the dynamics of T. gondii seroprevalence during a 10-year period and to correlate it with age and demographic features of pregnant women. We tested 6,889 pregnant women in Timisoara, Romania, for IgG-anti- T. gondii antibodies, in two successive periods: i) 2008-2010 (group 1: 1,457 participants); and ii) 2015-2018 (group 2: 5,432 participants). For each participant, data on age and area of residence were collected. Our results showed that in the Western Region of Romania T. gondii seroprevalence in pregnant women declined from 43.79 to 38.81% in the last ten years. This trend was observed in both urban (40.53 vs. 34.85%) and rural areas (52.22 vs. 46.22%). A higher seroprevalence rate was found in rural than in urban areas. In addition, we found an increasing tendency of seroprevalence related to the age of pregnant women.

Research on demographic, clinical and paraclinical aspects in pregnant women infected with Toxoplasma gondii

“…According to some results, T. gondii seroprevalence in pregnant women has decreased from 43.79 to 38.81% in the last 10 years in the Western Region of Romania. Our study, unlike other recent studies carried out in Romania, did not show statistically significant differences related to the age of the pregnant women infected with T. gondii ,while the prevalence of infections was higher in urban areas ( 36 , 37 ). Consistent with the two studies mentioned above, several authors claim that there is a decreasing trend in T. gondii infection among pregnant women ( 38 ).…”

Simultaneous Seroprevalence to Toxoplasma gondii, Cytomegalovirus and Rubella Virus in Childbearing Women from Western Romania

“…This study is part of a larger project that demonstrated a decrease in the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii , CMV and rubella virus, among women of reproductive age and pregnant women in western Romania over a decade from 2008 to 2018 [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Thus, our previous research showed a decrease in seroprevalence among women of reproductive age, between 2008–2010 and 2015–2018, from 43.8% to 38.8% [ 11 ], in the case of Toxoplasma gondii . Among the general population, the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii is estimated at 25–30%, while among women of reproductive age, it varies between regions being 9.1% in the USA, 19% in Italy and 44% in France.…”

“…Among the risk factors associated with T. gondii seropositivity, the following are mentioned: the place of residence from the rural environment, the lower socioeconomic level, as well as the more frequent contact with the infected animals and soil. [ 11 ]. In the western region of Romania, our previous research showed also a decrease in CMV seroprevalence among women of reproductive age, from 94% to 91.8% [ 12 ].…”

Prevalence of Rubella Antibodies among Fertile Women in the West of Romania, 18 Years after the Implementation of Immunization

“…This is the largest study on the seroprevalence of TORCH infections among women of reproductive age in Romania [ 11 , 12 ]. The presented results show that the rubella seronegative rate among women of reproductive age in the western region of Romania increased between 2008–2010 and 2015–2018 from 5.9% to 8.6%, above the European average of 7.6% [ 7 ].…”