title: Seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus and rubella among pregnant women in western Sudan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Maternal cytomegalovirus (CMV) and rubella infections have adverse neonatal outcomes. Basic epidemiological data concerning CMV and rubella is necessary for health planners and care providers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional study was conducted at El-Rahad hospital, Sudan to investigate seroprevalence of CMV and rubella infections and associated possible risk factors among pregnant women. Structured questionnaires were used to gather socio-demographic data and ELISA was used to detect CMV and rubella infections using IgG and IgM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 231 pregnant women, 167 (72.2%) and 151 (65.3%) were CMV-IgG and rubella-IgG positive, respectively. Only 6 (2.5%) and 8 women (3.4%) were CMV-IgM and rubella-IgM positive, respectively. While, high parity (OR = 14.7, 95%CI = 1.7 - 123.6; P = 0.01] and illiteracy (OR = 3.0, CI = 1.4 - 6.5; P = 0.004) were significantly associated with seropostive CMV-IgG in multivariate analysis, none of the other obstetrical and medical characteristics were significantly associated with CMV or rubella infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CMV prevalence was 72.2% and rubella susceptibility among pregnant women was 34.6%. Rubella vaccine and routine screening for rubella and CMV should be introduced for pregnant women in this setting. Further research is needed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Neelain University, Khartoum, Sudan.
authors.forename: Hamdan Z
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Hamdan
authors.forename: Ismail E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Abdelbagi
authors.forename: Nasser M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Nasser
authors.forename: Ishag
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Adam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012409:Rubella / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013397:Sudan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M