Seroprevalence study of herpes simplex virus type 2 among pregnant women in Germany using a type-specific enzyme immunoassay.
In a German seroepidemiological study to determine the proportion of pregnant women infected with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and at risk of transmitting the infection to the newborn during delivery, IgG antibodies to HSV-2 in 1999 sera collected from pregnant women in 1996-1997 were measured using an automated type-specific enzyme immunoassay (Cobas Core HSV-2 IgG EIA; Roche Diagnostics, Switzerland). The seroprevalence of HSV-2 was 8.9%, and control studies with a type-common HSV assay measuring antibodies to HSV-1 and HSV-2 revealed that 20.7% of pregnant women were seronegative for HSV antibodies and are therefore at risk of acquiring primary genital HSV infection of either type.
Medical Diagnostic Laboratory of Professor Enders, Institute for Virology, Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, Stuttgart, Germany.
G
G
Enders
B
B
Risse
M
M
Zauke
I
I
Bolley
F
F
Knotek
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G