GESTATIONAL AND NEONATAL TOXOPLASMOSIS - REGIONAL SEROPREVALENCE IN THE UNITED-ARAB-EMIRATES

Paired maternal/cord blood samples were tested for anti-Toxoplasma IgG or IgM antibodies using Biomerieux Micro-EIA2 IgG and IgM test kits. Of the 1503 women tested at the time of delivery, 344 (22.9%) were IgG :seropositive. Three hundred and one maternal sera, including 265 that were IgG positive, were tested for IgM antibodies: 47 were found posi tive, indicating a gestational toxoplasmosis incidence of 31 per 1000 pregnancies over one year. All but one of the IgM positive maternal se ra had tested IgG positive. Cord blood IgG seropositivity was similar to the maternal rate but Is of the 301 babies had significant levels o f anti-Toxoplasma IgM antibodies. As these 18 babies were all born to mothers also positive for IgM antibodies, the calculated rate of trans placental transmission was 38.3% with the estimated prevalence of cong enital toxoplasmosis of 12 per 1000 live births. There was no statisti cally significant positive correlation between maternal seroprevalence and such well-known risk factors as consumption of raw meat and milk, or proximity of cats and other animals. One baby was born with the cl assical stigmata of congenital toxoplasmosis.