PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Elnahas, Amir
AU  - Gerais, Abd S.
AU  - Elbashir, Mustafa I.
AU  - Eldien, Eltoum S.
AU  - Adam, Ishag
TI  - Toxoplasmosis in pregnant Sudanese women
DP  - 2003 Aug 01
TA  - Saudi Medical Journal
PG  - 868--870
VI  - 24
IP  - 8
4099  - http://smj.org.sa/content/24/8/868.short
4100  - http://smj.org.sa/content/24/8/868.full
SO  - Saudi Med J2003 Aug 01; 24
AB  - OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to conduct a sero-epidemiological survey of toxoplasmosis in pregnant Sudanese women.METHODS: Four hundred and eighty-seven pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Khartoum and Omdurman, Maternity Hospitals, Sudan during the period June through to December 2000 were counselled for socio-demographic and obstetrical risk factors for toxoplasmosis, and screened for immunoglobin G (IgG) and IgM anti-toxoplasma antibodies using enzyme linked immunoassay.RESULTS: Immunoglobin G anti-toxoplasma antibodies were positive (titre > 11 IU/ml) in 166/487 (34.1%), while 321/487(65.9%) were sero-negative. The sera of 35 women showed very high titres (>100 IU/ml), 5/35 (14.3%) were IgM-positive. The risk factors for IgG anti-toxoplasma seropositivity were; Southern ethnic origin and consumption of raw meat. Thirty (18.1%) out of 166 women who were IgG anti-toxoplasma seropositive gave history of intrauterine fetal death, while 31 (9.7%) out of 321 women who were sero-negative gave history of intrauterine fetal death, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: Over 65% Sudanese women screened for anti-toxoplasma IgG antibodies were sero-negative and they were at risk of sero-conversion during pregnancy. Southers and eating raw meat were the risk factors for toxoplasmosis in Sudanese pregnant women.