Seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis in Pregnant Women in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Background: Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a cosmopolitan intracellular protozoan parasite capable of infecting almost all warm-blooded animals including humans. Its prevalence among pregnant women in certain areas in Africa reaches 60 to 80%.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in different centers in Kinshasa.

Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, carried out in pregnant women followed in prenatal care at the Vijana Medical Center and at the Mother and Child Center of Barumbu, from June to August 2018.

Results: Two hundred and sixty-nine pregnant women (269) were selected for the study. The average age was 27.48 ± 10.02 years with extremes of 15 and 50 years. The most represented age range was that of 20 to 24 years old (35.68%). The majority of them (30.85%) had no specific level of education, their median age was 22 years; they were followed by those with a grad school level (29.36%), then high school level (16.35%), with median ages 23 years and 27 years respectively. Consumption of non-potable water, raw food and undercooked meat had a significant statistical association with positive toxoplasmic serology (p ≤ 0.05). The presence of a cat at home, and the occurrence of spontaneous abortion were unrelated to positive toxoplasmic serology (p>0.05). The Toxoplasmosis seroprevalence was 56.87%. Conclusion: Toxoplasmosis is a real public health problem little known in Kinshasa. Its seroprevalence among pregnant women is 56.87%.

Keywords: Seroprevalence, Toxoplasmosis, Pregnant women, Kinshasa.