Congenital cytomegalovirus infection: occurrence in two socioeconomically distinct populations of a developing country

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Authors: Cláudio S. Pannuti, Lucy S. Vilas-boas, Maria J. O. Angelo, Renato P. S. Carvalho, Conceição M. Segre
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 1985
• Subjects: Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0036-46651985000200010; https://doaj.org/article/da2989e7786241c7a7407d344e3fbb04

In São Paulo, Brazil, between November 1980 and July 1982, 1614 newborns of middle socioeconomic background and 1156 newborns of low socioeconomic background were examined for the occurrence of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection by isolation of virus from urine samples or detection of specific anti-CMV IgM in umbilical cord serum tested by immunofluorescence. In the low socioeconomic population prevalence of CMV complement-fixing antibodies in mothers was 84.4%(151/179) and the incidence of congenital infection assessed by virus isolation 0.98% (5/508), as compared with 0.46% (3/648) in the group of newborns tested by detection of specific anti-CMV IgM in umbilical cord-serum. In middle socioeconomic level population prevalence of CMV complement-fixing antibodies in mothers was 66.5% (284/427) and the incidence of CMV congenital infection was 0.39% (2/518) in the group of newborns screened by virus isolation and 0.18% (2/1096) in the group tested by detection of specific anti-CMV IgM. In the present study none of the 12 congenitally infected newborns presented clinical apparent disease at birth.