title: Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii infection among healthy blood donors in south-east of Iran.
abstract: This prospective cross-sectional study was aimed to evaluate the prevalence of IgM and IgG anti-T. gondii antibodies and the associated risk factors among healthy blood donors in Kerman province, south-eastern Iran. Structured questionnaires (before the donors gave blood) were used to obtain information on risk factors for infection. Totally, 500 serum samples from healthy blood donors of Kerman Blood Transfusion Organization (KBTO) at Kerman, Iran, were screened for IgG and IgM anti-T. gondii antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Roche Elecsys Toxo IgM assay. Real-time PCR was used to detect DNA of T. gondii in the IgM-positive samples. Seroprevalence of IgG and IgM anti-T. gondii antibodies was 28.8% and 3.2%, respectively. In the multiple logistic regression, it could be observed that living in rural regions, having B blood type, being in contact with cats, consuming raw vegetables and raw milk/egg and doing agricultural activities were independent risk factors for Toxoplasma seropositivity. T. gondii DNA was also found in one (9.0%) of IgM-positive samples. In this study, it was found that T. gondii infection was present among healthy blood donors in south-east of Iran. Therefore, it is suggested to design screening programmes for preventing transfusion-transmitted toxoplasmosis.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mahmoudvand
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Saedi Dezaki
authors.affiliation: Kerman Blood Transfusion Organization, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Soleimani
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Modeling in Health, Institute of Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Baneshi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kheirandish
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ezatpour
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran.|Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zia-Ali
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood*; D001782:Blood Donors; D002415:Cats; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood*; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000276:immunology*; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M
keywords: IgG antibody; IgM antibody; Real-Time PCR; blood transfusion; toxoplasmosis