Ulimbakisye Mcdonald
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania
Helmut Nyawale
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania
Alphaxard Kajura
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania
Fridolin Mujuni
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania
Elieza Chibwe
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania
Vitus Silago
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania
Betrand Msemwa
Institute of Allied Health Sciences, Catholic University of Health and Allied sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania
Caroline A Minja
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied sciences, Mwanza
Zawadi Daffa
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania
Mahmud Karim
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania
Evidence C. Byasharila
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania
Alda Ester Chongo
Department of Biological Sciences, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique
Stephen E. Mshana
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania
Mariam M. Mirambo
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Bugando School of Medicine, Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania
Abstract
Background: Viral infections such as Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), Rubella virus (RV) and Herpes simplex virus-2(HSV-2) are implicated in causing adverse pregnancy outcomes with limited data from Africa. Here we report the magnitude of these viruses among women with unfavorable pregnancy outcomes (WUP) in Mwanza, Tanzania.
Methods: A cross sectional study involving 198 WUP was conducted between March and June 2019 in Mwanza. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect HCMV and RV IgM and IgG antibodies while immunochromatographic test was used to detect HSV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies. Data were analyzed by using STATA version13.0.
Results: The median age of enrolled women was 28(IQR, 24-34) years. Of these 194(98%) were HCMV IgG seropositive while only 2(2.1%) were IgM seropositive. Out of 180 women tested for RV, 175(96.7%) were IgG seropositive while only 1(1.2%) was RV IgM seropositive. Regarding HSV2; out of the 146 women tested, 21(14.4%) were seropositive for HSV2 IgG, and only 3(2.1%) were HSV-2 IgM seropositive. Having primary education (p=.046) and being married (p=.035) were significantly associated with HSV-2 IgG seropositivity.
Conclusion: A substantial proportion of WUP have markers of viral infections for potential pathogens that might be associated with unfavorable pregnancy outcomes necessitating further studies to establish causal effect relationship.