Toxoplasma gondii Seropositivity and its Possible Associated Risk Factors among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinic in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Toxoplasmosis is a well-documented cause of bad obstetric history (BOH) and a major reason of congenitally acquired infection. This observational study was conducted to detect the rate of seropositivity of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women and observe their risk factors associated with disease transmission attending the antenatal clinic of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2015 to August 2016. The study subjects included 150 pregnant women of different gestational ages. A serological evaluation was carried out to determine the presence of Toxoplasma gondii-specific IgG and IgM antibodies by chemiluminescence. The total seropositive cases for Toxoplasma gondii was 39(26%), of which IgG positive cases were 33(22%) and IgG-IgM positive cases were 6(4%). The seropositive status of the patients was analyzed according to their gestational age, parity and with a number of sociodemographic characteristics to assess risk of transmission. The seropositivity of toxoplasmosis was significantly higher in the 1st trimester. Acute cases were higher in primi patient (2%) than multigravid women (1%). IgG positive cases were more in multigravid women with previous bad obstetric history (BOH) (14%). There was statistically significant association of seropositivity with socioeconomic status of the study population, their occupation, cat ownership, frequency of meat consumption and raw vegetable intake. These factors might play important risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection. It can be concluded that Toxoplasma gondii infection is prevalent in our society causing a number of pregnancy wastage each year. So it is necessary to perform routine serological test in all pregnant women for early diagnosis and treatment and enhance public health awareness to prevent risk of transmission.