title: [Seroprevalence of antibodies against infectious pathogens relevant to pregnancy among healthcare workers].
abstract: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are exposed to infectious diseases throughout the course of their work. The concerns of pregnant HCWs are considerable because certain otherwise mild infections may affect fetal development. We studied 424 pregnant HCWs at the University Hospital Frankfurt between March 2007 and July 2011. Serological tests were carried out for varicella zoster virus (VZV), measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and parvovirus B19. Our overall seroprevalence data with regard to VZV, MMR, CMV and parvovirus B 19 corresponded to the general population. However, physicians demonstrated lower seroprevalence towards the two non-vaccine-preventable diseases (CMV: 37.5% [KI 27.4-48.5]; parvovirus B19: 69.3% [KI 58.6-78.7]) compared with nurses (CMV: 53.4% [KI 46.1-60.6], parvovirus B19: 75.1% [68.4-81.1]). It was striking that, only one in five of the study population showed IgG antibodies against all of the six pregnant-relevant viral diseases tested, of the physicians as few as one in six. A routine exclusion from the workplace due to non-immunity would mean that it would not be possible to employ the majority of pregnant staff in healthcare and childcare.
authors: Betriebsärztlicher Dienst, Klinikum der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland. Sabine.Wicker@kgu.de
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Wicker
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Friedrichs
authors: H F
authors: HF
authors: Rabenau
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D017758:Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017757:Infectious Disease Transmission, Professional-to-Patient / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D009726:Nurses; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010820:Physicians; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission*
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D014765:Viral Vaccines