title: Association of zoonotic Ljungan virus with intrauterine fetal deaths.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It has recently been shown that Ljungan virus (LV) is associated with disease in its wild rodent reservoir. In addition, it has been demonstrated that LV causes malformations and perinatal death in a mouse model. The question was therefore raised whether LV is a zoonotic agent in humans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population fluctuations of native rodents in Sweden were compared to the incidence of intrauterine fetal deaths (IUFDs) using the Swedish national hospitalization database. Formalin-fixed tissues from cases of IUFD were investigated using LV-specific immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Variation in the incidence of IUFDs closely tracked the fluctuations in native rodent populations. LV was detected in the brain tissue in 4 of 10 cases of IUFDs investigated by immunochemistry. LV was also detected in the placenta in 5 of the 10 IUFD cases, but in none of 20 placentas from normal pregnancies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LV may play an important role in IUFDs.
authors.affiliation: Apodemus AB, Grevgatan 38, Stockholm, Sweden. Bo.Niklasson@Apodemus.se
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Niklasson
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Samsioe
authors.forename: Nikos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papadogiannakis
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawecki
authors.forename: Birger
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hörnfeldt
authors.forename: George R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Saade
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Klitz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003411:Arvicolinae / Q000821:virology; D001921:Brain / Q000821:virology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D030061:Parechovirus / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D010850:Picornaviridae Infections / Q000150:complications*; D010920:Placenta / Q000821:virology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology