Publication Details
Abstract
The study revealed that Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most common parasites affecting pregnant women and leading to early or late miscarriage. Tests were conducted on 120 samples from participating women who visited public and private health institutions in Mosul. The study showed that 92 women exhibited symptoms of T. gondii infection. After performing serum tests, 74 participants tested positive for the parasite by identifying immunological markers (IgG and IgM). The prevalence of IgG antibodies was found to be 92.5% (IU/mL) in 50 identified samples, indicating latent or chronic infection. The prevalence of IgM antibodies in serum reached 57.1% (IU/mL) in 14 confirmed samples, indicating a recent and acute infection with T. gondii. Furthermore, 16 out of 24 samples showed both types of antibodies. Antibodies or immune markers, IgG and IgM, were found in 66.6% of women (IU/mL) with a standard deviation of ±2.32 and a p-value of <0.0001. The study also showed that contact with cats increases the infection rate, with 78.3% of women who do not live with cats having an infection rate of 21.7%. Furthermore, the number of previous abortions increases the infection and abortion rates by more than 66% compared to other cases, as does the consumption of contaminated food. This study also indicated that the 20-30 age group is 54% more susceptible to infection with the T. gondii parasite than other age groups. Additionally, women living in cities were found to be twice as likely to be infected as women living in rural areas. The study also found that women living in cities are more likely to be infected than women living in rural areas.