[Risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii and immune status of pregnant women: cause and effect?].

Background: Human infection with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is found world-wide. The differences in prevalence across the countries may be ascribed to variations in hygiene and eating habits.

Aim: To identify preventable risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii infection in pregnancy through a transversal study achieved in the laboratory of Parasitology Mycology of Rabta including all pregnant women referred to the laboratory between March 2010 and February 2011 to serological testing for toxoplasmosis methods: The age, the stage of the current pregnancy and exposures to potential risk factors associated with Toxoplasma infection were collected by a questionnaire. An analysis with SPSS and chi-square was used to analyse exposure frequencies for each risk factor variable.

Results: A total of 2351 women were included. The median age of the pregnany women was 29.4 years (range, 16 - 48 years). In all, 47.7% of them were seropositive. Seropositivity for toxoplasmosis was significantly associated with eating undercooked meat (p = 0.002) and eating miswashed vegetables (p = 0.003). However, the other factors (contact with cats, cleaning the cat litter box, washing the hands after preparation of raw meat, contact with the ground) were found to be independently associated with seropositivity toxoplasmosis.

Conclusion: In Tunisia, there is still no prevention program toxoplasmosis well structured. Health education on avoidance of maternal infection is an important aspect of any program for prevention of congenital toxoplasmosis.