Seroprevalence And Risk Factors Of Toxoplasmosis Antibodies Among Students At Jiblah University, Yemen 2024: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most widespread zoonotic parasitic diseases globally, caused by the neurotropic parasite Toxoplasma gondii. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with T. gondii infection among students enrolled at Jiblah University for Medical and Health Sciences, Yemen.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, gathering data from male and female students across six faculties. Results: A total of 203 students participated in the study, with 56.2% (114) being female and 43.8% (89) male. The majority of students, 62.1% (126), were aged between 20 and 25 years, and 86.2% (175) were single. Most of the participants, 72.9%, resided in urban areas. There was no a statistically significant association was found between positive anti-toxoplasmosis seropositivity and sociodemograph students. But 16.7% of students under 20 years of age tested positive for Anti-Toxoplasma gondii (IgG), followed by 8.4% among those over 25 years. Additionally, 16.2% of students with a history of blood transfusion tested positive for Anti-Toxoplasma gondii (IgG), with a prevalence of 10.1% among males and 7% among females. The seropositivity was 8.8% among urban students and 7.3% among rural students. Furthermore, a positive anti-toxoplasmosis seropositivity was observed in 9.5% of students with a family history of abortion and 14.3% among those with a family history of toxoplasmosis infection.

Conclusion: The seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies was relatively low among the sample of male and female students. Also, no statistically significant difference between the presence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and the socio-demographic of students.