Congenital toxoplasmosis among Iranian neonatal population: Two systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Sarvi, Shahabeddin; Nayeri Chegeni, Tooran; Sharif, Mehdi; Montazeri, Mahbobeh; Hosseini, Seyed-Abdollah; Amouei, Afsaneh; Hosseininejad, Zahra; Anvari, Davood; Saberi, Reza; Gohardehi, Shaban; Daryani, Ahmad

doi:2019.0.0.e2019021

Review paper

Epidemiology and Health 2019;e2019021.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4178/epih.e2019021 [Accepted] Published online May 17, 2019.

Congenital toxoplasmosis among Iranian neonatal population: Two systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Shahabeddin Sarvi

, Tooran Nayeri Chegeni

, Mehdi Sharif

, Mahbobeh Montazeri

, Seyed-Abdollah Hosseini

, Afsaneh Amouei

, Zahra Hosseininejad

Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran

Correspondence Ahmad Daryani ,Tel: +98 11 33241031, Fax: +98 11 33543249, Email: daryanii@yahoo.com

Received: January 28, 2019 Accepted after revision: May 17, 2019

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
Toxoplasmosis is a serious zoonotic disease with a widespread global distribution in humans and animals that can lead to abortion and congenital disorders. The objective of this review was to investigate the evidence on the incidence rate of toxoplasmosis in Iranian neonatal population in order to obtain a comprehensive description regarding the overall situation of the disease for future use.
METHODS:
For the purpose of the study, the original studies investigating the incidence of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection in Iranian neonatal population were systematically searched in a number of English and Persian electronic databases. The search process resulted in the inclusion of a total of 11 studies in the systematic review, 10 cases of which were entered into the meta-analysis.
RESULTS:
The reviewed articles included 2,230 Iranian neonates investigated up to January 1, 2018. Based on the retrieved studies, the overall weighted incidence rates of toxoplasmosis in Iranian neonatal population and neonates with suspected congenital toxoplasmosis (CT) were estimated at 0.64% (95% CI=0.31-1.09%) and 4.10% (95% CI=2.68-5.77%), respectively, using fixed effects model.
CONCLUSIONS:
The findings of the reviewed studies were indicative of the high incidence of toxoplasmosis. Accordingly, it can be concluded that this infection is a serious public health concern, which has been neglected by the Ministry of Health. Therefore, it is essential to perform further studies, in addition to the implementation of screening and detection programs, using standardized methods to estimate the incidence of this infection and determine its associated risk factors in Iran.

Keywords: Toxoplasmosis; Incidence; Neonate; Systematic review; Iran