Burden, Transmission Risks, and impact of Toxoplasmosis among Pregnant Women in Mampong Municipality, Ghana.

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis, if untreated during pregnancy, can cause complications such as spontaneous abortion, eye-ear defect, and in severe cases, death. This study assessed the burden of Toxoplasma gondii infection and its transmission risks among pregnant women. A cross-sectional study examined 201 consenting pregnant women, consecutively recruited at six health facilities in the Mampong Municipality, Ghana. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected using a structured questionnaire and 5 ml of blood to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection using a TOXO IgG/IgM One-Step Rapid Test Cassette. Multinomial logistic regression analysis used SPSS version 27 to determine the association of T. gondii infection with other communicable diseases, demographics, household factors, animal husbandry, and other environmental variables. The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii was 49.75%, with 40.30%, 2.49%, and 6.97% testing positive for IgG, IgM, and IgG and IgM, respectively. Prevalence of HBV, HIV, and syphilis were 14.61%, 0.61%, and 3.07%, respectively. Educational level, residential area, households with animals, animal husbandry practices, veterinary services, and hygiene practices were linked to toxoplasmosis. Drinking untreated water from rivers/streams/dams increases the risk of T. gondii infection three times [AOR=2.91 (1.07 – 7.92) p=0.037]. T. gondii infection was linked to miscarriage among the participants. The burden of toxoplasmosis among pregnant women in this study area was high, increasing the risk of T. gondii transmission to their fetuses. Although the prevalence of HBV and syphilis was very high, these were not linked to T. gondii infection. Pregnant women with tertiary education and living in urban areas had a reduced risk of T. gondii infection. Risk factors such as the presence of animals in households with extensive/semi-intensive systems and poor veterinary care services, drinking water from rivers/streams significantly influenced the transmission of toxoplasmosis. T. gondii infection can be addressed as one of the significant factors of miscarriage in Mampong Municipality. Integration of toxoplasmosis into the routine ANC screening is critical to the prevention and control of pregnancy outcomes.