[Toxoplasmosis and important virus infections in pregnancy-- diagnosis and management]

Toxoplasmosis and viral infections such as rubella, cytomegaly and parvovirus B19 are much feared risk during pregnancy. The rate of connatal toxoplasmosis and of subclinically infected infants at birth with the risk of late manifestation is still unclear, whereas such data are fairly well-known for rubella-, CMV- and parvovirus-B19-infections. The respective major diagnostic issues in pregnancy, the laboratory diagnosis, and its rational use in combination with clinical information are presented. Also the value of passive prophylaxis, therapy, and prenatal diagnosis as well as the possible management for diminishing the infection problems in pregnancy are discussed.