Open AccessEpidemiology of cytomegalovirus infection in pregnant women living in the Greater Romagna Area, Italy
Author(s) -
Patrizia Billi,
Mara Della Strada,
Simona Semprini,
Vittorio Sambri
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
microbiologia medica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2280-6423
pISSN - 1120-0146
DOI - 10.4081/mm.2015.5083
Subject(s) - pregnancy , cytomegalovirus , incidence (geometry) , serology , medicine , antibody , epidemiology , immunology , immune system , obstetrics , herpesviridae , biology , virus , viral disease , genetics , physics , optics
Background. Aim of this study was to assess the incidence of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in pregnant women living in Romagna area, in North East Italy to implement the best management of this infection. Materials and Methods. In 2012, 23,727 serological tests for CMV IgG and IgM antibodies were performed in the Microbiology Unit, the Hub Laboratory of the Greater Romagna Area: 6931 were pregnant women. Results and Conclusions. 179 subjects were positive for CMV IgM antibodies: 82 were not pregnant; 97 were IgM positive during pregnancy or in the course of a pre-conception evaluation. The detected incidence of the CMV infection in pregnancy (calculated at 1.40%) actually validates the literature data. This study’s findings clearly underline the usefulness of testing the CMV specific immune response in the pre-conception period or as early as possible during pregnancy