DETECTION OF TOXOPLASMA GONDII AMONG WOMEN IN DUHOK  CITY-KURDISTAN REGION OF IRAQ

RAWA NOORI  AWAD; SHAMAL ABDULLAH  AL-MUFFTI

doi:10.26682/ajuod.2020.23.2.5

RAWA NOORI AWAD Dept. of Microbiology and Parasitology, College of veterinary medicine, University of Duhok
SHAMAL ABDULLAH AL-MUFFTI Dept. of Biology, College of Science, University of Duhok

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26682/ajuod.2020.23.2.5

Keywords: Toxoplasma gondii, Aborted women, ELISA, RT-PCR.

Abstract

Background: Congenital toxoplasmosis is one of the most endemic parasitic infections that can lead to
clinical complications by transmission through mother to fetus transplacentally in aborted women.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the rate of toxoplasmosis among pregnant and aborted
women in Duhok/ Kurdistan Region-Iraq by using Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay(ELISA) and
detect the seropositive cases by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) .
Materials and Methods: A total of 102 samples were collected from women admitted to obstetrics and
gynecology hospital in Duhok province. The data were collected through the period from January, 20th
,
2019 until December, 30th, 2019.Blood and placental samples from 60 aborted women with Bad Obstetric
History(BOH) and 42 placental samples from healthy normal pregnancies (as a control group). The
placental samples of normal pregnancies were tested by RT-PCR technique while aborted women’s blood
and placental samples were tested by both Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay(ELISA) and RT-PCR
techniques.
Results: The results revealed a low rate of infection by congenital toxoplasmosis. Seropositivity to T.
gondii were 20/60 33.3% by ELISA, 25% IgM, 65% IgG and 10% both IgG and IgM whereas the retested
seropositive samples by RT-PCR only 5% showed positive results. The highest rate of infection was at 32-
38 age group, first trimester 85%, single abortion 35%, who inhibits rural area 80%,ingesting homemade
food 80%, and contact with animals(cats) 85%.
Conclusion: Real-time PCR-based technique is the most accurate and suitable for routine screening,
providing a rapid, sensitive, and quantitative way of detecting congenital toxoplasmosis in clinical
specimens, without any false-positive result that may help to a targeted treatment.

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