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. 2024 Oct 3;52(1):67.
doi: 10.1186/s41182-024-00634-z.

Seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus among pregnant women in Singapore

Pamela Partana  1 , Wei Yee Wan  2 , Xin Yu Venessa Chow  2 , Jerry Kok Yen Chan  3 , Lay Kok Tan  4 , Wei Ching Tan  4 , Piea Peng Lee  5 , Gek Hsiang Lim  6 , Liying Yang  4
Affiliations

Seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus among pregnant women in Singapore

Pamela Partana et al. Trop Med Health. .

Abstract

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common congenital infection in pregnancy with potential long-term adverse effects on the fetus. There is limited data on CMV seroprevalence in pregnant women in Singapore, with last reported study dating back over two decades. We look at the latest CMV seroprevalence in antenatal population in Singapore.

Methods: Between January 2021 and August 2021, 385 pregnant women receiving antenatal care at Singapore General Hospital were randomly selected for CMV IgG test to be performed on their blood samples collected during the first trimester of their pregnancies. Positivity for CMV IgG represents past exposure prior to pregnancy.

Results: Overall CMV seroprevalence was 71.7% (276/385) (95% CI 067, 0.76, p value < 0.001). The trend of CMV IgG positivity increased with age, 68.3% (95% CI 0.60, 0.76, p value < 0.001) in those aged 20-29, 72.5% (95% CI 0.66, 0.78, p value < 0.001) in the 30-39 age group, and 79.0% (95% CI 0.67, 0.76, p value 0.012) in women over 40.

Conclusions: There is a declining trend in CMV seroprevalence among pregnant women in Singapore, which indicates that a substantial portion of this population faces the risk of primary maternal CMV infection during pregnancy. Emerging research suggests that prenatal treatment with valacyclovir effectively reduces the likelihood of vertical transmission. Considering this evidence, it is imperative to reevaluate the recommendations for universal maternal CMV screening during pregnancy.

Keywords: Antenatal; Cytomegalovirus; Seroprevalence; Singapore.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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