Epidemiology of Toxoplasmosis among the Pakistani Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular obligate parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic infection that affects warm-blooded animals and humans worldwide. To comprehensively characterize the disease condition in Pakistan for future reference, we ascertained the prevalence of Toxoplasma infection and predisposing factors in the Pakistani population over a 20-year period. We systematically reviewed research articles published in English (2000–2020) from PubMed and Google Scholar. The search results 26 publications involving 10,924 people and 2611 seropositive cases. The toxoplasmosis seropositivity rate was higher in women (25.44%) as compared to men (21.48%) and were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Furthermore, seropositivity was high among people with direct contact with cats, who consumed uncooked meat and raw vegetables, had poor education, and lived in rural areas. The 35–65-year age group had the highest prevalence rate of T. gondii infection. Toxoplasma infection was significantly more prevalent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province (25.87%) than in Punjab (20.42%) (p < 0.001). This is the first comprehensive analysis of T. gondii infection epidemiology in Pakistan. It reveals a high frequency of infection among women. We strongly encourage further research to aid patient care and the development of more efficient diagnostic tests and preventative techniques.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis in Different Areas of Pakistan

“…[13] showed that 54% of pregnant women were positive for specific T. gondii antibodies. Our findings are also consistent with the results of [4] who systematically reviewed different research articles published from year 2000 to 2020. And found that total 10,924 people were involving in this research out of which 2611 were seropositive.…”