Toxoplasmosis in Iran - A call for One Health approach

Background and purpose: Toxoplasmosis is an important zoonotic disease that is caused bythe intracellular protozoan Toxoplasma gondii and is influenced by environmental conditions.Almost all warm-blooded animals and humans are affected by this parasite and it can occurfrom contaminated food and water, eating raw meat products and congenital transmission inhumans and cause abortion in pregnant women and small ruminants. Toxoplasmosis iseffective in public health and causes great economic losses to the livestock husbandryindustry. Our aim in this study is to propose an approach to toxoplasmosis, which seeks toestablish the optimal health of humans, animals, plants and the environment.Material and methods: Using the terms ‘Toxoplasmosis’ and ‘Iran’, articles were identifiedby searching PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, SID and Magiran.Results: The overall prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in different hosts in Iran is ۳۷% (۹۵%CI) and its prevalence in the public population is ۳۹% (۹۵% CI). From the perspective ofveterinary medicine in Iran, in ruminants, the highest rate of toxoplasmosis serum prevalencewas reported in sheep, goats and cattle, respectively, and the prevalence of infection in cats,which play a vital role in toxoplasmosis infection, was reported as ۳۳.۶% (۹۵% CI).In termsof climate, every atmospheric factor, such as proper humidity, causes the survival andexposure of humans and animals to parasites; The highest and lowest prevalence rates insmall ruminants were reported in Mazandaran and Khorasan provinces, respectively.Conclusion: Management, control and prevention of toxoplasmosis requires aninterdisciplinary and comprehensive approach. One Health, which seeks to establish theoptimal health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment, is considered an effectiveapproach to manage, control, and prevent toxoplasmosis. In order to establish a unifiedhealth, this can be achieved through interdisciplinary cooperation, especially the two fields ofmedicine and veterinary medicine, integrated research and capacity building betweenuniversities, government organizations, non-government organizations, health policy makersand the general public.