Белорусский государственный медицинский университет, Минск, Беларусь Seroeprevalence and risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii infection among pregnant women in Minsk area Серологическая распространенность инфицирования T. gondii среди беременных женщин и прогнозирование врожденного токсоплазмоза в Минской области ______________________ Abstract __________________________________________________________________________ Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of Toxoplasma antibodies among pregnant women and to establish the relative importance of various risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii infection in Minsk area, Belarus. <...> Methods: Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies were detected by an immunoassay and linked to a questionnaire exploring dietary and environmental exposure to T. gondii. <...> In multivariate analysis, independent predictors of T. gondii seropositivity were tasting raw minced meat (OR 2.58), contact with soil (OR 1.93), and current residence in small town or village (OR 1.95). <...> Conclusions: These results suggested that horizontal T. gondii transmission in Belarus may occur through tasting raw minced meat, contact with soil and farming. <...> The prevalence of T. gondii infection estimated for human population varies greatly among diff erent geographical areas and among diff erent countries [3]. <...> Infection is usually acquired by ingestion of undercooked meat containing Toxoplasma cysts or by ingestion of fruit or vegetables contaminated by oocysts from cat faeces [1, 4]. <...> But in pregnancy congenital transmission may cause of severe problems in the foetus and in the baby, including abortion, hydrocephalus, neurological disorders, and retinochoroiditis or even blindness [5]. <...> Congenital toxoplasmosis occurs when a woman fi rst acquires T. gondii infection during pregnancy; the maternal-fetal transmission rate rises from less than 2% at 4 gestational weeks to more than 80% at 36 weeks of gestational age [6]. <...> Seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in pregnant women varies among countries. <...> In Asian countries from 0. 8% to 55% of studied pregnant women had anti-T. gondii antibodies [9–11]. <...> A study performed in south Brazil and in a Cuban study revealed that more than 70% of the pregnant women or women before pregnancy had anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies [12, 13]. <...> T. gondii infection during pregnancy are mostly asimptomatic and diagnosed by detection of anti-T. gondii specifi c IgM and IgG antibodies [1, 2 <...>