Seropositivity and awareness of Toxoplasmosis among University students

Authors

  • Ebtesam M. Alshehri Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box-80324, Jeddah-21589, Saudi Arabia.
  • Eman O. Atorje Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box-80324, Jeddah-21589, Saudi Arabia.
  • Lujain F. Basaeed Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box-80324, Jeddah-21589, Saudi Arabia.
  • Wejdan M. Assiri Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box-80324, Jeddah-21589, Saudi Arabia.
  • Refaat I. Elfayoumi Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box-80324, Jeddah-21589, Saudi Arabia.
  • Amani M. Talaky Department of Dermatology, King Fahad General Hospital, Jeddah-21533, P.O. Box-55505, Saudi Arabia.
  • Haytham A. Zakai Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box-80324, Jeddah-21589, Saudi Arabia.

Keywords:

Toxoplasma gondii, Awareness, Prevalence, Jeddah

Abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that is infecting about one-third of the world population. Awareness about toxoplasmosis and its transmission can help reduce its prevalence. We examined the degree of awareness about toxoplasmosis among female university students. A total of 127 samples were collected, including 44 samples from health colleges students and 83 samples from other colleges. A questionnaire was used to measure the level of awareness about Toxoplasma gondii. Serum samples were analyzed for the presence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibody using ELISA technique. Ninety-four (74%) participants were 18-20 years, 27 (21%) were 21-24 years, and 6 (5%) were above 24 years. Only 11 (9%) students eat raw meat and 21 (17%) students had a tendency to eat undercooked meat. Furthermore, only 6 (5%) students received blood transfusion and 33 (26%) students owned a cat at home. Forty-two (33%) students answered that they know about the disease. The majority of participants (n=121, 95%) used bottled water as a source of drinking water. Among the 127 samples collected, only 6 (4.7%) had IgG anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibody. There was statistically significant positive correlation between the level of awareness about toxoplasmosis and the participant's answers about previous knowledge about the disease and a statistically significant negative correlation between the level of awareness about toxoplasmosis and the student's faculty. We recommend that this study is repeated with a larger sample size and a modified questionnaire to include more detailed questions to reveal the true level of awareness.

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Published

01-07-2015

How to Cite

Alshehri, E. M., Atorje, E. O., Basaeed, L. F., Assiri, W. M., Elfayoumi, R. I., Talaky, A. M., & Zakai, H. A. (2015). Seropositivity and awareness of Toxoplasmosis among University students. Journal of Advanced Laboratory Research in Biology, 6(3), 68–71. Retrieved from https://e-journal.sospublication.co.in/index.php/jalrb/article/view/228

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 3 (2015): July

Section

Articles

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