title: Infectious agents in congenital cataract in a tertiary care referral center in North India.
abstract: Congenital cataract has the potential for inhibiting early visual development. Intrauterine infections with Rubella virus, Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and Toxoplasma gondii plays an important role in the development of congenital cataract. The study included 120 children under the age of 6 years presenting with congenital cataract and diagnosed using serology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The IgM positivity for rubella, HSV, T. gondii was found to be 5.8%, 1.6% and 8.3% respectively. The overall PCR positivity was found to be 40(33.3%), 25 (20.8%) and 39 (32.5%) for rubella, HSV and T. gondii with mean copy number of 1599 copies/μL; 1716 copies/μL and 1503 copies/μL respectively. Infective etiology significantly contributes to the causation of congenital cataract particularly for rubella virus which is a potentially eradicable disease. This study provides an epidemiological data for rubella, HSV and T. gondii in children with congenital cataract and highlights the need to introduce rubella vaccine in the National Immunization Programme of India.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, 160 012. Electronic address: minipsingh@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mini P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, 160 012. Electronic address: drjagatram@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jagat
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ram
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, 160 012. Electronic address: archit22684@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Archit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, 160 012. Electronic address: jasmine5067@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jasmine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Khurana
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, 160 012. Electronic address: merinda_mrbnng@yahoo.co.in.
authors.forename: Merinda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marbaniang
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India, 160 012. Electronic address: rathopgi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Radha Kanta
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Ratho
mesh_terms: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000097:blood; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002386:Cataract / Q000151:congenital*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D007194:India; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000469:parasitology / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D012412:Rubella virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D004279:DNA, Viral; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012367:RNA, Viral
keywords: Congenital cataract; Epidemiology; Infection; Virus