Prevalence of Toxoplasmosis in Blood Donors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36283/ziun-pjmd14-2/057Keywords:
Meta-analysis, systematic review, seroprevalence, toxoplasma gondii, toxoplasmosisAbstract
Background: Toxoplasmosis is a prevalent public health problem that infects humans and animals. Humans can become infected by consuming improperly washed vegetables, raw meat, contaminated water, or exposure to cats or their feces. Infection can also occur through transfusion of contaminated blood. The current review aimed to assess the seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis in blood donors globally.
Methods: After registering with PROSPERO (CRD42024597115), the search was carried out in databases including PubMed and Google Scholar from January 2014 to December 2024 in the English language using the PRISMA guidelines. A total of 15 cross-sectional studies reporting the prevalence of toxoplasmosis among blood donors, involving any serological method for detecting total antibodies or IgG only, having a sample size of more than 100 and free full text available, were included. The exclusion criteria included studies with incomplete data, non-cross-sectional designs, or duplicate reports. The I2 statistic was used to evaluate heterogeneity. The risk of bias was assessed on a Newcastle-Ottawa scale. The funnel plot was developed to assess publication bias.
Results: A total of 8610 participants were analysed in 15 included studies. The age range of included participants was 18 to 65 years. Out of 15, six studies were conducted in Africa, five in Asia, two in Europe, and one each in North America and transcontinental. The serological tests performed in all studies included enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescent assay, serum antibody detection, and latex or direct agglutination tests. The estimated pooled seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis in blood donors was 32.6% (95% CI, 25.3–40.9%). The highest prevalence was in Asia (36.2%) and the lowest in America (13.5%). We found a significant association of prevalence with two risk factors area of residence (OR = 1.61, p <0.001) and contact with cats (OR = 1.30, p = 0.002).
Discussion: A moderate seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis infection was found in blood donors, showing significant association with the residence of blood donors and a history of contact with cats. There is low heterogeneity among studies, stable sensitivity analysis results, and most of the included studies showed satisfactory risk of bias so this meta-analysis's precision is moderate to high.
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