Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma, Rubella, and Cytomegalovirus among pregnant women in Van

To determine the seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma, anti-Rubella, and anti-Cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibodies among pregnant women receiving prenatal care at Van Training and Research Hospital.

In developing countries, various infectious agents encountered in the gestational period are important because they influence both maternal and fetal health. Among these, Toxoplasma gondii, Rubella and CMV are quite prevalent. In the present study, anti-Toxoplasma, anti-Rubella and anti-CMV antibodies were analyzed in the serum samples obtained from women receiving prenatal care at Van Training and Research Hospital between June 2012 and July 2013, and positive serum samples were retrospectively evaluated. Anti-Toxoplasma, anti-Rubella and anti-CMV antibodies were analyzed using ELISA with Cobas 4000 e411 (Roche, Germany) and Architect i2000SR (Abbott Diagnostics, Germany) analyzers.

Over the course of the study period, the results of a total of 9809 patients were investigated in terms of anti-Toxoplasma, anti-Rubella, and anti-CMV antibodies. Anti-Toxoplasma, anti-Rubella, and anti-CMV IgM and IgG antibody positivity rates were 1.1%, 0.5% and 2.6%, and 37.6%, 86.5% and 100%, respectively.

Anti-Toxoplasma IgG antibody positivity rates determined in the present study were lower as compared with the results of the other studies reported from Turkey. However, CMV IgM and IgG antibody positivity rates were be higher as compared with those reported in the literature.