Seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis in Female Students at the Bouaké Medical Sciences Training and Research Unit, Bouaké, Cȏte d'Ivoire

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a common cosmopolitan parasitic zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii. Most often asymptomatic, toxoplasmosis can  be serious for the foetus if it occurs during pregnancy. The objective of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis  among female students to contribute to the knowledge of the epidemiology of this disease. We conducted a cross-sectional study on  female medical students in Bouake. The students were included after obtaining informed consent and were interviewed about their  socio-demographic characteristics, gynaeco-obstetric history, factors favouring toxoplasmosis, and blood samples were collected. The  samples were analysed by ELISA at the Bouake University Hospital laboratory. The collected data were entered and analysed using Word,  Excel 2013, and Epi Info 7. The 168 female students included had an average age of 24 years, were married (6%), had a history of pregnancy (23.8%), were nulliparous (91.7%), had a cat (39.3%), and ate undercooked meat (72%).An overall seroprevalence of 67.9% was  observed, of which 66.7% was IgG and 3.6% IgM. There was a statistically significant relationship between anti-toxoplasma seropositivity,  age and the presence of a cat in the family. The overall seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis among female students at the Bouake Medical  Sciences training and research unit was high. Therefore, students whose serology was negative should be made aware of the need to  have a check-up in the event of pregnancy, so that appropriate measures can be taken as soon as possible.