Risk Factors and Altered Parameters in Pregnant Women Infected by Toxoplasma gondii in Lebanon

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii. Both animals and humans could develop the infection through several ways including diet, unhygienic habits, direct contact to soil, blood transfusions and organ grafting. Although all people are at risk of the infection, ones with weakened immune systems are at much higher risk, out of these are cancer patients, pregnant women, fetuses and newborns. In our study, we collected data from three gynecologists in two Lebanese regions in order to evaluate the prevalence of the infection and the risk factors associated with it. We found out that the increase in age and pet ownership is directly correlated with the number of infected women and the infection of the women is directly related to the mode of delivery being c-section and having infected offspring.