Cytomegalovirus, Genital Herpes, Rubella, and Toxoplasmosis
Women with primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection are usually asymptomatic, but about 10% of women can have an infectious mononucleosis‐like disease. Postnatal CMV infection of the infant can occur from exposure to genital tract virus or through breast milk. In practice, maternal CMV testing is typically prompted by abnormal ultrasound findings. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is a common cause of minor maternal symptoms and a rare cause of devastating neonatal infection. The diagnosis of HSV infection is often made clinically, in the setting of either maternal or neonatal disease. Rubella virus infection is acquired via the upper respiratory tract through inhalation. Infection during the first five months of pregnancy can result in severe fetal damage or death. The severity of congenital toxoplasmosis infection depends on the gestational age at which it was acquired, with those acquired at earlier gestational ages being the most severe.
