Toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in Crete.

In Greece there are no official recommendations concerning the management of pregnant women for the prevention of congenital toxoplasmosis. A protocol for monitoring pregnant women was designed in order to differentiate between acute and latent toxoplasmosis and was tested successfully for 7 years. The maternofetal transmission rate in Crete was assessed and a map showing seroprevalence of pregnant women in all prefectures of Greece was prepared.

Incidence of toxoplasmosis in 5532 pregnant women in Crete, Greece: management of 185 cases at risk.

Objectives: To study the incidence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in Crete and to test a designed protocol for handling those at risk of delivering congenitally infected infants.

Study Design: Pregnant women were screened serologically over a period of 5 years. Cases with suspected acute toxoplasmosis were treated, peripheral blood (PB), and amniotic fluid (AF) tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and culture, and fetuses monitored by ultrasonography.