{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]],"date-time":"2025-11-17T16:12:21Z","timestamp":1763395941842,"version":"3.45.0"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]],"date-time":"2025-11-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1763337600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia","award":["JU-202503339-DGSSR-RP-2025"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["JU-202503339-DGSSR-RP-2025"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["TropicalMed"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Toxoplasmosis, caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, is a zoonotic disease that poses significant health risks to immunocompromised individuals, pregnant women, and infants. Transmission occurs primarily through infected cat feces or contaminated food. Awareness of transmission routes, prevention strategies, and health consequences remains limited in high-prevalence humid regions such as Jazan, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, between April and May 2025, surveying 485 adults using a five-section questionnaire covering demographics, knowledge, practices, medical history, and recommendations. The survey was distributed in both English and Arabic. Self-reported previous diagnoses were used to estimate prevalence, with risk factors presented as frequencies and percentages. Binary logistic regression analyzed categorical variables, and independent t-tests assessed continuous variables to identify predictors of awareness and knowledge regarding toxoplasmosis. Results: Participants comprised 58.6% females, 97.3% Saudis, and 69.1% individuals aged \u226430 years; 49.7% had heard of toxoplasmosis. Females (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.13\u20132.5, p &lt; 0.01) and those &gt;30 years old (AOR: 1.8, 95% CI: 0.80\u20134.29, p &gt; 0.05) demonstrated greater awareness and knowledge, though this was not statistically significant. No significant differences were observed based on marital status (p &gt; 0.05). Risk behaviors included consuming unwashed fruits and vegetables (27.6%) and unpasteurized dairy products (28.2%), with 62.7% always washing hands after handling raw meat or soil. Cat ownership (20.6%) was not associated with knowledge (p = 0.97). Self-reported diagnosis prevalence was 1.9%. Conclusions: Low awareness and prevalent risky behaviors underscore the urgent need for targeted public health education interventions focusing on hygiene practices and zoonotic disease prevention in Jazan. Serological studies are recommended to obtain more accurate prevalence estimates and guide evidence-based interventions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/tropicalmed10110323","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]],"date-time":"2025-11-17T15:38:09Z","timestamp":1763393889000},"page":"323","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Assessment of Awareness, Knowledge, and Self-Reported Prevalence of Toxoplasmosis in the Tropical Zone of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4078-9467","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hassan N.","family":"Moafa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 82912, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ahmad","family":"Mobarki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 82912, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sultan","family":"Moafa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 82912, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ziyad","family":"Asiri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 82912, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ahmed","family":"Hadadi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 82912, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Osama M.","family":"Abualgasem","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 82912, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7095-1248","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rama M.","family":"Chandika","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Nutrition Department, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 45142, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jobran M","family":"Moshi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 82912, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ashwaq M","family":"Al Nazawi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan 82912, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Laboratory Department, Jazan University Hospital, Jazan University, Jazan 82911, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Raad","family":"Shibli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory Department, Jazan University Hospital, Jazan University, Jazan 82911, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5065-9626","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hammad Ali","family":"Fadlalmola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Community Health Nursing, Nursing College, Taibah University, Madinah 42353, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Dubey, J.P. (2022). Toxoplasmosis of Animals and Humans, CRC Press. [3rd ed.].","DOI":"10.1201\/9781003199373"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Di Genova, B.M., Wilson, S.K., Dubey, J.P., and Knoll, L.J. (2019). Intestinal delta-6-desaturase activity determines host range for Toxoplasma sexual reproduction. PLoS Biol., 17.","DOI":"10.1101\/688580"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1965","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(04)16412-X","article-title":"Toxoplasmosis","volume":"363","author":"Montoya","year":"2004","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Salari, N., Rahimi, A., Zarei, H., Abdolmaleki, A., Rasoulpoor, S., Shohaimi, S., and Mohammadi, M. (2025). Global seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in pregnant women: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 25.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12884-025-07182-2"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12102","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-020-69078-9","article-title":"Global, regional, and country seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in pregnant women: A systematic review, modelling and meta-analysis","volume":"10","author":"Bigna","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1385","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijpara.2009.04.003","article-title":"Toxoplasmosis snapshots: Global status of Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence and implications for pregnancy and congenital toxoplasmosis","volume":"39","author":"Pappas","year":"2009","journal-title":"Int. J. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1217","DOI":"10.1016\/S0020-7519(00)00124-7","article-title":"Toxoplasma gondii: From animals to humans","volume":"30","author":"Tenter","year":"2000","journal-title":"Int. J. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1413","DOI":"10.1007\/s44197-024-00314-5","article-title":"The prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Saudi Arabia (1994\u20132023): A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"14","author":"Moafa","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Epidemiol. Glob. Health"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"230","DOI":"10.5144\/0256-4947.1994.230","article-title":"Prevalence of Toxoplasma antibodies in blood donors in Al-Hassa","volume":"14","author":"Yanez","year":"1994","journal-title":"Ann. Saudi Med."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"45","DOI":"10.4103\/2230-8229.98128","article-title":"Sero-prevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant mothers and new born infants in eastern province, Saudi Arabia","volume":"8","year":"2001","journal-title":"J. Fam. Community Med."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"180","DOI":"10.1159\/000065813","article-title":"TORCH agents in pregnant Saudi women","volume":"11","author":"Ghazi","year":"2002","journal-title":"Med. Princ. Pract."},{"key":"ref_12","first-page":"217","article-title":"Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii among pregnant women in Makkah, Saudi Arabia","volume":"18","author":"Jamjoom","year":"2006","journal-title":"Umm Al-Qura Univ. J. Sci. Med. Eng."},{"key":"ref_13","first-page":"175","article-title":"Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in humans and animals in Jazan region, Saudi Arabia","volume":"43","author":"Eisa","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. Egypt. Soc. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"913950","DOI":"10.1155\/2014\/913950","article-title":"Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii amongst pregnant women in Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia","volume":"2014","author":"Aqeely","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Trop. Med."},{"key":"ref_15","first-page":"587","article-title":"Direct genotyping of Toxoplasma gondii in blood samples from pregnant women in Jazan, Saudi Arabia","volume":"45","author":"Eida","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Egypt. Soc. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"569","DOI":"10.4103\/0256-4947.87090","article-title":"Antenatal screening for Toxoplasma gondii infection at a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia","volume":"31","author":"Almogren","year":"2011","journal-title":"Ann. Saudi Med."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"757","DOI":"10.15537\/smj.2020.7.25121","article-title":"Prevalence of toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes (TORCH) infections among women attending the antenatal care clinic, maternity hospital in Abha, Southwestern Saudi Arabia","volume":"41","author":"Paul","year":"2020","journal-title":"Saudi Med. J."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Islam, M.N., Zamreeq, A.O., Ismail, M., Habeebullah, T.M.A., and Ghulam, A.S. (2025). Jazan rainfall\u2019s seasonal shift in Saudi Arabia: Evidence of a changing regional climate. Atmosphere, 16.","DOI":"10.3390\/atmos16030300"},{"key":"ref_19","unstructured":"Al-Qahtani, H. (2025, September 23). Jazan is set to experience a tropical, rainy climate throughout the year. Saudi Gazette, 10 February 2024. Available online: https:\/\/saudigazette.com.sa\/article\/640331."},{"key":"ref_20","unstructured":"Saudi Census 2022 (2025, September 23). General Authority for Statistics, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Available online: https:\/\/www.stats.gov.sa\/en."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"53","DOI":"10.5116\/ijme.4dfb.8dfd","article-title":"Making sense of Cronbach\u2019s alpha","volume":"2","author":"Tavakol","year":"2011","journal-title":"Int. J. Med. Educ."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"357","DOI":"10.1093\/aje\/154.4.357","article-title":"Toxoplasma gondii infection in the United States: Seroprevalence and risk factors","volume":"154","author":"Jones","year":"2001","journal-title":"Am. J. Epidemiol."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lozano, T.d.S.P., Benitez, A., Santos, J.C.d., Navarro, I.T., Nagata, W.B., Pinto, M.d.S., Gomes, J.F., Debortoli, G.Z.T., Santos-Doni, T.R., and Bresciani, K.D.S. (2024). Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Associated Risk Factors in Pregnant Women in Ara\u00e7atuba, S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil: A Multi-Level Analysis. Microorganisms, 12.","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms12112183"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Mohammed, A., Ibrahim, N., and Ahmed, M. (2025). Toxoplasmosis landscape: A systematic review and meta-analysis of seroprevalence in healthy and non-healthy individuals in Sudan (1990\u20132025). BMC Infect. Dis., 25.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-025-11265-y"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"187","DOI":"10.4236\/ojpm.2016.68018","article-title":"Toxoplasmosis among Saudi Female Students in Al-Ahssa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Awareness and Risk Factors","volume":"6","author":"AlRashada","year":"2016","journal-title":"Open J. Prev. Med."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Aldali, J.A., Aljehani, A.M., Elsokkary, E.M., Alkhamis, F.L., Bin Khathlan, N.M., Alhadban, H.H., and Alkhathlan, H.K. (2024). Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and preventive behavior regarding toxoplasmosis among females in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 21.","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph21081065"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Alghafari, W.T. (2025). Toxoplasmosis Knowledge and Preventive Behaviours Among Pregnant Women in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study. Healthcare, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare13020174"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4201991","DOI":"10.1155\/jotm\/4201991","article-title":"Seropositive rubella and toxoplasmosis among females attending Saudi hospital","volume":"2025","author":"Alhussainy","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Trop. Med."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"259","DOI":"10.1127\/0941-2948\/2006\/0130","article-title":"World Map of the K\u00f6ppen-Geiger climate classification updated","volume":"15","author":"Kottek","year":"2006","journal-title":"Meteorol. Z."}],"container-title":["Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2414-6366\/10\/11\/323\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]],"date-time":"2025-11-17T16:07:39Z","timestamp":1763395659000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2414-6366\/10\/11\/323"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]]},"references-count":29,"journal-issue":{"issue":"11","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11]]}},"alternative-id":["tropicalmed10110323"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/tropicalmed10110323","relation":{},"ISSN":["2414-6366"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2414-6366","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,17]]}}}