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BMC Infectious Diseases
Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases 1/2013

Open Access 01-12-2013 | Research article

Seroprevalence of Cytomegalovirus among pregnant women and hospitalized children in Palestine

Authors: Tahani Neirukh, Ayda Qaisi, Niveen Saleh, Areej Abu Rmaileh, Eman Abu Zahriyeh, Lina Qurei, Firas Dajani, Taghreed Nusseibeh, Hatem Khamash, Sabri Baraghithi, Maysa Azzeh

Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases | Issue 1/2013

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Abstract

Background

Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common cause of congenital infections. The maternal immune status plays a major role in the likelihood of congenital infection. The aim of this study is to shed light on the seroprevalence of HCMV in pregnant women, hospitalized children and newborns including cases of congenital infections in Palestine.

Methods

We analyzed HCMV IgG and IgM test results that had been ordered for pregnant women, hospitalized children and newborns in the years 2006–2012 at Al-Makassed Islamic Charitable Hospital (MICH) in East Jerusalem. Furthermore, we reviewed the medical charts of newborns and HCMV IgM-positive children.

Results

HCMV IgG was positive in 96.6% of pregnant women, in 88% of hospitalized children and in 98.4% of hospitalized newborns. HCMV IgM was positive in 11.5% of pregnant women, in 11.7% of hospitalized children and in 2% of hospitalized newborns respectively. The HCMV avidity assay revealed that 95% of IgM-positive pregnant women had high avidity (>60%) indicating that most Palestinian women were undergoing a recurrent HCMV infection. Real time PCR on limited number of cases indicated that 62.5% of infants, mostly born to IgM-positive mothers and 83.3% of HCMV IgM-positive children had detectable HCMV DNA in their urine. Out of the 249 newborns tested during this study period, four (1.6%) were subjected to Gancyclovir treatment because of symptomatic congenital HCMV infection.

Conclusions

This is the first report to provide an insight into HCMV seroprevalence in Palestine. Despite the high rate of seropositivity, the importance of HCMV testing during pregnancy should not be underestimated. A comprehensive study with a long term follow-up examination of offspring born to HCMV IgM-positive mothers would be required to provide estimates of an accurate percentage of symptomatic congenital HCMV infection in Palestine.
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Metadata
Title
Seroprevalence of Cytomegalovirus among pregnant women and hospitalized children in Palestine
Authors
Tahani Neirukh
Ayda Qaisi
Niveen Saleh
Areej Abu Rmaileh
Eman Abu Zahriyeh
Lina Qurei
Firas Dajani
Taghreed Nusseibeh
Hatem Khamash
Sabri Baraghithi
Maysa Azzeh
Publication date
01-12-2013
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Infectious Diseases / Issue 1/2013
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2334
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2334-13-528

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