Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Parasitology 1735-7020 14 1 2019 03 11 167 173 EN Seyedeh Zahra KHADEMI Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Department of Biology, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran Fatemeh GHAFFARIFAR Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Abdolhossein DALIMI Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran Parivash DAVOODIAN Infectious and Tropical Disease Research Center, Hormozgan Health Institute, Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Iran Amir ABDOLI Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran AND Zoonosis Research Center, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences, Jahrom, Iran 2017 06 12 2019 03 11 Background: Toxoplasmosis can cause miscarriage or complications in the fetus. Diagnosis and treatment of this disease by anti-parasitic drugs especially in early pregnancy can help to prevent fetal infection and its complications. This study aimed to determine T. gondii infection in pregnant women, evaluate risk factors in the transmission of the disease and congenital toxoplasmosis. Methods: Overall, 360 sera of pregnant women from 5 cities in the Hormozgan Province in southern Iran with different climate were evaluated from 2015-2016 for T. gondii infection by using ELISA method and positive cases of IgM and IgG were tested again using Avidity IgG ELISA. All cases were evaluated according to climate, acute and chronic of toxoplasmosis, number of pregnancy and abortion, epidemiological factors and food habits. Results: Among 360 specimens T. gondii IgG + IgM antibodies were found positive in 0. 8% subjects and also 27% of samples had IgG seropositivity. A significant relationship was observed between age, sampling place, consumption of raw and half cooked meat, history of contact with cats, abortion history, number of children, and parity with IgG positive. In Avidity IgG ELISA test, 13 people with low avidity, 3 people with borderline avidity were reported. Conclusion: 72. 2% of the population had no antibody against the disease that this could be a warning to the people and requires education of preventive and prenatal care and routine screening of women at childbearing age. https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/view/1640 https://ijpa.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijpa/article/download/1640/926