Seroprevalence of Cytomegalovirus among Pregnant Women in Hodeidah city, Yemen

Introduction: Cytomegalovirus is an enveloped DNA virus from the Herpesviridae family. It is the most common cause of congenital infection. CMV is more widespread in developing countries and in communities with lower socioeconomic status. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of CMV infection and identify risk factors of CMV seropositivity. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional, descriptive, and experimental, combining the use of a structured questionnaire and analysis of serum samples obtained from 384 healthy pregnant women during the period from April 2014 to April 2015. The serum samples were analyzed for IgG and IgM antibodies to CMV by Electro-Chemiluminescence Immunoassay (ECLIA). Results: Of the 384 healthy pregnant women, 379 (98.7%) and 7 (1.8%) were seropositive for Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and Immunoglobulin M (IgM) anti- CMV antibodies, respectively. Evaluation of age specific subgroups indicated high CMV IgG seropositivity rate for all age group. There was no statistical significant factor detected between CMV positivity rate with any socio-demographical and obstetrical characteristic (P-value <0.05). Conclusion: The seroprevalence of CMV antibodies among pregnant women in Hodeidah city, western Yemen is high (98.7%), this finding is similar to other results reported from developing countries.