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.
Enders
G
G
Medical Diagnostic Laboratory of Professor Enders, Institute for Virology, Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, Stuttgart, Germany.
Risse
B
B
Zauke
M
M
Bolley
I
I
Knotek
F
F
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