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Related Experiment Video

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Modeling Ascending Vaginal Infection, Preterm Birth, and Neonatal Morbidity in Mice

Modeling Ascending Vaginal Infection, Preterm Birth, and Neonatal Morbidity in Mice

Published on: October 10, 2025

Emerging infections and pregnancy.

Denise J Jamieson¹, Regan N Theiler, Sonja A Rasmussen

¹Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA. djamieson@cdc.gov

Emerging Infectious Diseases

|February 8, 2007

Summary

Pregnant women experience immune system shifts, potentially increasing susceptibility and severity of emerging infectious diseases. Understanding these changes is crucial for public health responses to new infections.

Area of Science:

Immunology
Infectious Diseases
Maternal Health

Background:

Emerging infections require consideration of special populations, notably pregnant women.
Pregnancy involves significant immune system adaptations to tolerate a fetus, though not fully understood.
These adaptations may influence susceptibility and disease outcomes in pregnant individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

To highlight the importance of considering pregnant women in the context of emerging infectious diseases.
To discuss how pregnancy-related immune alterations might affect responses to novel pathogens.
To underscore the limited data available on emerging infections in pregnant populations.

Main Methods:

Literature review and synthesis of existing knowledge on immune changes during pregnancy.

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Analysis of known impacts of pregnancy on susceptibility and severity of select infectious diseases.

Identification of knowledge gaps regarding emerging infectious diseases in pregnant women.

Main Results:

Pregnancy is associated with a shift from cell-mediated to humoral immunity.
This immune modulation may increase risks for infections like toxoplasmosis and listeriosis.
Pregnant women may face more severe outcomes and higher mortality from diseases such as influenza and varicella.

Conclusions:

Altered immune responses in pregnancy necessitate specific consideration during emerging infectious disease outbreaks.
Further research is critical to understand and mitigate risks for pregnant women facing novel infectious threats.
Public health strategies for emerging infections must incorporate the unique vulnerabilities of pregnant populations.