Assessment of seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in blood donors applied to the blood center of Gazi university hospital

• Published in: Iranian journal of microbiology Vol. 13; no. 2; pp. 243 - 247
• Main Authors: Yılmaz, Ayşegül, Yazıcı, Engin, Turk, Can
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Iran Tehran University of Medical Sciences 01.04.2021
• Subjects: antibody; Original; prevalence; toxoplasmosis; transfusion medicine; Antibody; Toxoplasmosis; Blood transfusion; Blood donor; Seroprevalence
• ISSN: 2008-3289; 2008-4447
• DOI: 10.18502/ijm.v13i2.5986

Toxoplasmosis is a life-threatening zoonotic infection in immunosuppressive individuals. Determining the prevalence and seropositivity rates of toxoplasmosis in asymptomatic blood donors is crucial in terms of the risk status of the transmission of this infection to the blood recipients. In this study, the presence and level of the specific IgG and IgM antibodies in blood donors was investigated by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA). The statistical significance levels between seropositivity and demographic characteristics of the donors such as age, educational status, raw meat consumption, drinking water supply were examined. IgG seropositivity was found among the 225 (25.6%) of the donors present in the study group, while IgM seropositivity was detected in 20 donors (2.3%). The number of donors with only IgM (+) was 8 (0.9%). Both IgG and IgM seropositivities were found in 12 donors (1.4%). Our study provides information about seropositivity based on the samples collected from the donors who were admitted to the blood center of a university hospital in Ankara, Turkey. This study demonstrates that seropositivity is high in the rural areas and the regions where the education level is low.