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Dear Editor: A large proportion of infant and maternal deaths are caused by infectious diseases worldwide, especially in developing countries due to poor socio-economic conditions. Pakistan is the high ranked country with pregnancy related deaths (260 deaths per 100,000 live births). Neonatal deaths account for 40% of deaths under 5 years of age worldwide and 36 % of neonatal deaths are due to infections. Pakistan with an estimated 41 and 70 deaths per 1000 for neonates and infants annually, accounts for 7% of global neonatal deaths. Causes of death in newborn and pregnant women vary by country and are largely related with availability and quality of health care. This very high maternal and neonatal mortality rate led us to set up the present study to determine the prevalence of cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus (HSV) and rubella virus in pregnant women in Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa (KPK), a province of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country. These viruses cause serious illnesses or death to infected mothers, fetus or neonate. Newborns infected with rubella virus may have birth defects such as blindness, hearing loss and mental retardation. Rubella infection during pregnancy results in spontaneous abortions in 65%-85% cases. Congenital CMV also causes similar birth defects: hearing loss, mental retardation and retinochoroiditis. Approximately 30% of infected infants die due to congenital CMV. Congenital HSV infection may lead to external infection of the newborn skin, eyes, and mouth as well as causing central nervous system (CNS) infections (encephalitis), or disseminated infection involving several organs such as the brain, liver, and lungs. A large number of HSV infected infants die in early age.

Palabras clave: Rubella; CMV; HSV; prevalence; pregnant women; Pakistan.

2014-03-13   |   455 visitas   |   Evalua este artículo 0 valoraciones

Vol. 8 Núm.3. Marzo 2014 Pags. 389-390 J Infect Developing Countries 2014; 8(3)