Seroprevalence of Cytomegalovirus Infection among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care at Plateau State Specialist Hospital, Jos, Nigeria
Iyabo Blessing Mashood *
Department of Biotechnology, Nigeria Defense Academy, Kaduna, Nigeria.
Jonah Yisa
Department of Microbiology Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Bauchi State, Nigeria.
Peter Moses
Department of Microbiology Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Bauchi State, Nigeria.
Nnamdi Harrison Uzoma
Department of Medical Laboratory Science University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.
Chinyere Friday Ihemenandu
Department of Microbiology Our Lady of Apostle's Hospital Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.
Abubakar Umar
Department of Microbiology Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Bauchi State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV), also known as human herpesvirus 5, is a leading cause of congenital infection globally, although routine antenatal screening is not practised in Nigeria. CMV IgG seroprevalence indicates previous exposure and potential risk for vertical transmission.
Aim: To determine the seroprevalence of CMV IgG and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Plateau State Specialist Hospital, Jos.
Place and Duration: Plateau State Specialist Hospital, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, from January to March 2026.
Methodology: A hospital-based cross-sectional study involving 94 pregnant women recruited by consecutive sampling. Sociodemographic data, risk factors and knowledge were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Sera were tested for CMV IgG by ELISA (Cortez Diagnostics, Inc., USA) in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions. Data were analysed using SPSS version 23. Associations were tested using chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: The overall CMV IgG seroprevalence was 64/94 (68.1%), indicating previous exposure. The highest seropositivity was observed among women aged 35-39 years (77.8%), women with tertiary education (78.9%) and students (75.0%). No statistically significant association was observed between CMV IgG seropositivity and age, marital status, education, occupation, condom use, trimester, number of sexual partners, clinical symptoms or knowledge variables (all p > 0.05).
Conclusion: The high CMV IgG seroprevalence (68.1%) indicates substantial past exposure among pregnant women in Jos. Since IgG alone denotes past exposure, the findings do not indicate active infection. Health education on hygiene and avoiding contact with young children's secretions, together with consideration of targeted screening using IgM and avidity testing in future multicentre studies, is recommended.
Keywords: Cytomegalovirus, CMV IgG, seroprevalence, pregnancy, antenatal care, maternal exposure