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Volume 14
Issue 8
10.3390/pathogens14080796
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Emerging Trends in Toxoplasmosis Seroepidemiology in Childbearing-Aged Women in Croatia, 2015–2024

by
Mario Sviben
1,2,†,
Klara Barbić
3,†,
Maja Bogdanić
4,
Ema Reicher
5,
Sara Glavaš
4,
Dan Navolan
6,
Ana Sanković
7,
Tomislav Meštrović
8,9,
Ivan Mlinarić
10,
Simona Vlădăreanu
11,
Radu Vlădăreanu
12 and
Tatjana Vilibić-Čavlek
2,4,*
1
Department of Parasitology, Croatian Institute of Public Health, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
2
School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
3
Statistics Concentrator, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
4
Department of Virology, Croatian Institute of Public Health, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
5
Department of Clinical Microbiology, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević”, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
6
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
7
Department of Microbiology, University of Applied Health Sciences, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
8
University Centre Varaždin, University North, 42000 Varaždin, Croatia
9
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the Department of Health Metrics Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
10
Department of Epidemiology, Croatian Institute of Public Health, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
11
Neonatology Clinic Elias, Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology and Neonatology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
12
Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic Elias, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania
 
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*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Pathogens 2025, 14(8), 796; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14080796 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 17 July 2025 / Revised: 4 August 2025 / Accepted: 6 August 2025 / Published: 8 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging and Neglected Pathogens in the Balkans)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Childbearing-aged and pregnant women represent a risk group for Toxoplasma gondii infection due to possible transplacental transmission resulting in congenital toxoplasmosis. We analyzed the seroepidemiological trends of toxoplasmosis in Croatia over ten years (2015–2024). A total of 2791 childbearing-aged and pregnant women were included. Toxoplasma gondii-specific IgM/IgG antibodies were detected using an enzyme-linked fluorescence assay. Samples with positive IgM and IgG antibodies were tested for IgG avidity. IgG antibodies were detected in 695 (24.9%) participants, while acute toxoplasmosis (IgM antibodies and low avidity IgG antibodies) was confirmed in 32 (1.2%) of participants. The IgG seroprevalence showed a declining trend over the years. Residents of suburban/rural areas were more often seropositive than those in urban areas (31.4 vs. 22.3%). Logistic regression analysis revealed that year of testing, age, and settlement were associated with the risk of seropositivity. For each later calendar year, the log odds of being IgG-positive decreased, while for each additional year of age, the log odds increased. Residence in an urban area was associated with lower log odds. The region was not a significant predictor in the logistic regression. The differences in seropositivity observed across regions can be mainly attributed to Pannonian Croatia, which showed significantly higher odds of IgG seropositivity. Data about the toxoplasma serological status is useful for planning prevention campaigns.
Keywords: Toxoplasma gondii; epidemiology; childbearing-aged women; Croatia Toxoplasma gondii; epidemiology; childbearing-aged women; Croatia

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MDPI and ACS Style

Sviben, M.; Barbić, K.; Bogdanić, M.; Reicher, E.; Glavaš, S.; Navolan, D.; Sanković, A.; Meštrović, T.; Mlinarić, I.; Vlădăreanu, S.; et al. Emerging Trends in Toxoplasmosis Seroepidemiology in Childbearing-Aged Women in Croatia, 2015–2024. Pathogens 2025, 14, 796. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14080796

AMA Style

Sviben M, Barbić K, Bogdanić M, Reicher E, Glavaš S, Navolan D, Sanković A, Meštrović T, Mlinarić I, Vlădăreanu S, et al. Emerging Trends in Toxoplasmosis Seroepidemiology in Childbearing-Aged Women in Croatia, 2015–2024. Pathogens. 2025; 14(8):796. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14080796

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sviben, Mario, Klara Barbić, Maja Bogdanić, Ema Reicher, Sara Glavaš, Dan Navolan, Ana Sanković, Tomislav Meštrović, Ivan Mlinarić, Simona Vlădăreanu, and et al. 2025. "Emerging Trends in Toxoplasmosis Seroepidemiology in Childbearing-Aged Women in Croatia, 2015–2024" Pathogens 14, no. 8: 796. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14080796

APA Style

Sviben, M., Barbić, K., Bogdanić, M., Reicher, E., Glavaš, S., Navolan, D., Sanković, A., Meštrović, T., Mlinarić, I., Vlădăreanu, S., Vlădăreanu, R., & Vilibić-Čavlek, T. (2025). Emerging Trends in Toxoplasmosis Seroepidemiology in Childbearing-Aged Women in Croatia, 2015–2024. Pathogens, 14(8), 796. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14080796

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