Factors Associated With Toxoplasma gondii Infection Among Pregnant Women Admitted for Delivery in Selected Hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

TL;DR

This study found that 20.94% of pregnant women in Tanzania had Toxoplasma gondii infection, with eating rodents and game meat being significant risk factors.

Contribution

The study identifies consumption of rodents and game meat as key predictors of T. gondii infection in pregnant women in Tanzania.

Findings

The seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii among pregnant women was 20.94%.

Consumption of rodents and game meat were significant predictors of T. gondii seropositivity.

Drinking untreated water was common but not linked to T. gondii infection.

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is asymptomatic in infected individuals; however, infections acquired during pregnancy pose a significant risk of the development of congenital parasitosis, leading to poor pregnancy outcomes and various degrees of chorioretinitis later in life. This study was therefore designed to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and its associated factors among pregnant women admitted for delivery in selected hospitals in Dar es Salaam. A hospital‐based analytical cross‐sectional study was conducted among 191 pregnant women who were admitted for delivery in the selected hospitals in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. A pretested, Kiswahili‐translated semistructured questionnaire was used to collect demographic characteristics of the respondents, as well as their risk profile and awareness on T. gondii. Collected blood samples were screened for T. gondii IgG and IgM using the FaStep TORCH IgG/IgM rapid test device as per the manufacturer′s instructions. Data analysis was done using STATA Version 14 (StataCorp, Texas, United States); figures were plotted using Microsoft Excel [2024] (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington, United States). Crude and adjusted OR were estimated by bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis with respective 95% CIs, respectively. A p value less than or equal to 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The seroprevalence of T. gondii among study participants was found to be 20.94%. Multivariable logistic regression for factors associated with T. gondii serostatus was modeled. After controlling for other factors, consumption of rodents for food (A
O
R = 10.52, 95% C
I = 1.13–97.79, p = 0.039) and consumption of game meat (A
O
R = 3.84, 95% C
I = 1.56–9.46, p = 0.003) were the best predictors of T. gondii seropositivity. Consumption of untreated water for drinking among study participants was found to be very high, although it was not associated with T. gondii seropositivity. This calls for the need for implementation of public health education with a particular emphasis on proper cooking of game meat and rodents before consumption and proper treatment of drinking water.

Figures