Higher risk of car accidents in older patients with Toxoplasma Gondii in Yazd province, center of Iran: A Cohort Study

Abstract Background Toxoplasmosis seems to be not only an infectious disease with known signs and symptoms, but it can also disturb the social behavioral aspects of animals and human. These social problems, especially memory disfunction, may lead to dangerous events like traffic accidents. The purpose of the study is to investigate and compare the rate of traffic accidents in people with positive serology for Toxoplasma gondii and people with negative serology. Materials and Methods This is a retrospective cohort study conducted according to the statistics available in the laboratories of Yazd province, in the center of Iran, from 2018 to 2021. We used information of 360 people with driving licenses divided into two groups related to the data of the results of IgG test against Toxoplasma gondii, collected in the laboratories of Yazd, Iran. One group was seropositive and the other one was seronegative for Toxoplasma gondii. The statistical analysis of the traffic accidents during 2018-2021 were recorded by the traffic police system. Results The age of toxoplasmosis group was slightly more than control group. (36.2 and 34.08, respectively; p-value= 0.03). There was no significant difference between time of driving in toxoplasmosis and control group. (P-value= 0.06). The rate of accidents was higher in toxoplasmosis group. (36.7% and 20.6%; p-value<0.001). This rate was significantly higher in people of 35-69 years old compared with younger ones. (40% and 32.9% respectively; p-value=0.01) Conclusion People with latent toxoplasmosis had a significantly higher risk of car accidents than seronegative ones and this risk was higher in older people. Due to contradictory results about the effect of toxoplasmosis on traffic accidents and higher rate of toxoplasmosis in Persian cats, these findings should be taken into consideration in designing strategies for public health.