Seroprevalence and risk factors for cytomegalovirus infection among pregnant women in southern Taiwan, 2014-2015

Objective: To investigate the seroprevalence of and risk factors for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection among pregnant women in southern Taiwan.

Materials and methods: From 2014 to 2015, pregnant women undergoing their first prenatal care visit participated in this study at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chiayi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. A serologic test was performed for anti-CMV IgG/IgM. Transabdominal amniocentesis was scheduled for those with seropositive anti-CMV IgM. Extraction of CMV DNA was performed via real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Maternal sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors for CMV seropositivity were analyzed.

Results: A total of 539 pregnant women undergoing their first prenatal visit were included. Eighty-three pregnant women were excluded for delivering at other hospitals. The overall seroprevalence rate of anti-CMV IgG in the remaining 456 cases was 87.28%. The seroprevalence rates of anti-CMV IgG(+)/IgM(+) and IgG(+)/IgM(-) were 1.32% and 85.96%, respectively. According to the anti-CMV IgG avidity test, only 3 pregnant women (0.65%) had primary CMV infection. Two of them underwent amniocentesis, and the results for both were negative for CMV DNA. According to the logistic regression analysis, the seropositivity of anti-CMV IgG was significantly associated with maternal age ≥30 (adjusted OR = 2.08, 95% CI: 1.10-3.94, p = 0.025) and the seropositivity of anti-CMV IgM was significantly associated with gestational weeks ≥37 when delivery (adjusted OR = 7.81, 95% CI: 1.23-49.58, p = 0.029).

Conclusion: In southern Taiwan, among pregnant women, the CMV seroprevalence was high (87.28%), but the rate of primary CMV infection was very low (0.65%). Pregnant women aged more than 30 years had a significant risk of CMV seropositivity.