title: Prevalence of anti-toxoplasma Gondii antibodies in Turkish blood donors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Toxoplasmosis is caused by an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. Most of these infections are asymptomatic or benign, but may cause severe or fatal consequences in immunodeficient patients, transplant recipients, and in the fetus. Transmission may occur by eating uncooked meat, contaminated vegetables, blood transfusion, organ transplantation, and across the placenta from the mother to the fetus. IgG antibodies to T. gondii may persist in the serum at high titers for years. In the present study, our aim was to determine prevalence of anti- T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies in Turkish blood donors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total samples from 385 healthy blood donors from Kayseri, Turkey were examined for anti- T. gondii antibodies by indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The seroprevalence of the anti- T. gondii IgG and IgM antibodies was 19.5%, 2.33% respectively by IFAT and 20.25%, 2.33% by ELISA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is suggested that all blood donors should be screened for toxoplasmosis before transfusion
authors: Department of Parasitology, Erciyes University, Medical Faculty, Kayseri-Turkey.
authors: Süleyman
authors: S
authors: Yazar
authors: Bülent
authors: B
authors: Eser
authors: Mehmet
authors: M
authors: Yay
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001782:Blood Donors; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan