Seroprevalence of TORCH Infection in Paediatric Population and Women of Reproductive Age Group: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: The acronym ‘TORCH’ complex includes infections due to Toxoplasma gondii, as well as others such as Syphilis, Hepatitis B, Rubella virus, Cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), respectively. Primary infections due to these agents during pregnancy are associated with congenital malformations in newborns. Seroprevalence data is important to gather estimates of immunity levels, vaccination status, as well as levels of exposure, and will correlate with the risk of acquiring infections during pregnancy. Aim: To determine the seroprevalence of TORCH infections in paediatric populations with suspected clinical conditions and women of reproductive age group, and also to assess the associated risk factors in mothers and newborns, and evaluate their clinical outcomes. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2019 and January 2022 in the Serology laboratory of the Department of Microbiology at the Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. A total of 92 consecutive antenatal females for whom TORCH antibody levels were determined and 343 suspected neonatal/paediatric populations were included in the study. The serum samples were subjected to IgM and IgG TORCH Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Demographic data and clinical details of patients were analysed from the Hospital Information System (HIS) and data records maintained in the department. Categorical variables are expressed as numbers and percentages. Results: A total of 435 samples (343 paediatric and 92 women) were screened for TORCH infection in the laboratory. A total of 57 (13.1%) were seropositive for TORCH infection. The most commonly affected were infants (28 days- 1 year). Among the total screened population, the positive cases of CMV were 40 (9.1%), rubella 11 (2.5%), and toxoplasma 6 (1.3%). Biliary Atresia (BA) and neonatal cholestasis were the most common clinical conditions associated with CMV infection. Conclusion: A high seroprevalence of IgM-specific CMV (9.1%) was observed in the present study. BA and neonatal cholestasis were the common complications in neonates associated with CMV infection.

Keywords

• enzyme linked immunosorbent assay
• herpes simplex
• neonatal cholestasis
• rubella cytomegalovirus
• toxoplasmosis