Identification of pregnancies at risk from cytomegalovirus infection

The Journal of Hygiene
|December 1, 1977
PubMed

The fluorescent antibody technique was used for the identification of specific cytomegalovirus IgM in the sera of twenty-four of 1065 unmarried pregnant women. Seventeen of them were followed to term and five infected infants were identified. Two other infants had CMV IgM in neonatal serum samples but virus excretion was not demonstrated. The congenital infection rate in this study was 5.3 per 1000 births by virus excretion and 7.9 per 1000 if cases with specific IgM are included; from previous studies a rate of 8.8 per 1000 was expected. The reasons for the lack of relationship between specific IgM in the mothers' serum and infected babies is discussed.

Related Concept Videos

Cytomegalovirus Disease01:27

Cytomegalovirus Disease

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is caused by human cytomegalovirus, a double-stranded DNA virus of the Herpesviridae family. While primary CMV infection is often asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, the virus can cause severe disease in neonates and immunocompromised patients. CMV is the most common cause of congenital viral infection in the United States, and a major pathogen in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.CMV is transmitted via bodily fluids, sexual...
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease01:29

Respiratory Syncytial Virus Disease

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a widespread pathogen that primarily targets infants and young children but also poses a serious health risk to elderly and immunocompromised individuals. Belonging to the Pneumoviridae family, RSV is a negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus within the Pneumovirus genus. Its global health burden is significant, with millions of cases annually resulting in hospitalizations and mortality, particularly in resource-limited settings. Although most...
Cryptococcal Meningitis01:27

Cryptococcal Meningitis

Cryptococcal meningitis is a life-threatening opportunistic infection predominantly associated with HIV/AIDS, accounting for over 100,000 deaths annually worldwide. However, it also affects individuals with other forms of immunosuppression, including those undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, organ transplant recipients, patients with innate immunodeficiencies, and individuals with hematological disorders. The infection is caused mainly by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii,...