Mosquito-Borne Rift Valley Fever Virus Linked to Miscarriage in Humans
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 11 Oct 2016 |
|
Image: Proteins from Rift Valley fever virus (Photo courtesy of Medical Xpress).
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFv) has been linked to miscarriage in a cross-sectional study of pregnant Sudanese women with fever, which indicated a 7 times greater risk of miscarriage for infected women.
“In parts of Africa where there are RVF outbreaks, human miscarriages have never been linked to this particular viral infection, until now,” said co-author Magnus Evander, professor at Umeå University Faculty of Medicine (Umeå, Sweden), “With these results, we can add miscarriage to the list of known complications from RVF. This discovery is important for maternal health and for our efforts to develop preventive measures to minimize miscarriages, which are a big health problem for women in the affected areas of Africa.” The study was a collaboration between researchers at Umeå University, the Swedish Defense Research Agency (FOI), and clinicians in Sudan.
RVFv, mostly in Africa and on the Arabian Peninsula, regularly causes large outbreaks with hundreds of thousands of infected people and animals (e.g. cows, sheep, goats). RVF usually produces mild, influenza-like symptoms in humans, but in about 8% of cases, infected people develop serious symptoms, such as liver damage, serious eye infection, internal and external bleeding, meningitis, and death. In animals it often leads to death and as well as pregnancy miscarriages.
The new results are based on a study of 130 pregnant women with fever in Sudan, where outbreaks are a large and recurring health problem. Of the 130 patients, 27 had a miscarriage and 4 had premature births. The women infected with RVFv had a 7 times greater risk of miscarriage.
”Because RVF is caused by a mosquito-borne virus, there is a potential risk of global spread, which has been the case with the Zika virus. The fact that RVF could lead to miscarriage is very worrying,” said Prof. Evander.
The study was published September 27, 2016, in the journal Lancet Global Health.
Related Links:
Umeå University Faculty of Medicine
“In parts of Africa where there are RVF outbreaks, human miscarriages have never been linked to this particular viral infection, until now,” said co-author Magnus Evander, professor at Umeå University Faculty of Medicine (Umeå, Sweden), “With these results, we can add miscarriage to the list of known complications from RVF. This discovery is important for maternal health and for our efforts to develop preventive measures to minimize miscarriages, which are a big health problem for women in the affected areas of Africa.” The study was a collaboration between researchers at Umeå University, the Swedish Defense Research Agency (FOI), and clinicians in Sudan.
RVFv, mostly in Africa and on the Arabian Peninsula, regularly causes large outbreaks with hundreds of thousands of infected people and animals (e.g. cows, sheep, goats). RVF usually produces mild, influenza-like symptoms in humans, but in about 8% of cases, infected people develop serious symptoms, such as liver damage, serious eye infection, internal and external bleeding, meningitis, and death. In animals it often leads to death and as well as pregnancy miscarriages.
The new results are based on a study of 130 pregnant women with fever in Sudan, where outbreaks are a large and recurring health problem. Of the 130 patients, 27 had a miscarriage and 4 had premature births. The women infected with RVFv had a 7 times greater risk of miscarriage.
”Because RVF is caused by a mosquito-borne virus, there is a potential risk of global spread, which has been the case with the Zika virus. The fact that RVF could lead to miscarriage is very worrying,” said Prof. Evander.
The study was published September 27, 2016, in the journal Lancet Global Health.
Related Links:
Umeå University Faculty of Medicine
Platinum Member
Automated Coagulation Analyzer
Hemolumi H6
New
Gold Member
Blood-Based Protein Biomarker Solution for Alzheimer's Disease
BG-DTi2000.
POC Immunoassay Analyzer
Procise DX
Pipette Calibration System
Artel PCS®
Latest Microbiology News
- New Diagnostic Workflow Identifies Bloodstream Pathogens and Antibiotic Response in Hours
- Genetic Marker Identifies Emerging Resistance to Frontline Malaria Drugs
- Surveillance and Susceptibility Testing Track Rising Candida Auris in U.S.
- Plasma Cell-Free DNA Test Enables Earlier Diagnosis of Invasive Fungal Infections
- FDA Clears One-Hour Panel for Bloodstream Infection and AMR Detection
- Precision Screening Helps Close Hepatitis C Diagnosis and Treatment Gaps
- Proteomic Workflow Maps Microbial and Host Responses in Intestinal Inflammation
- Metagenomic Sequencing Enables Faster Diagnosis of Respiratory Infections in Cystic Fibrosis
- Portable Molecular Platform to Advance Point-of-Care Testing for Lassa Fever
- New Sensitive Blood Assay Detects Tuberculosis Antigen Directly in Blood
- Study Highlights Need for Routine Hepatitis E Testing in Cirrhosis
- High-Throughput Automated Platform to Advance Latent Tuberculosis Testing
- Expanded Diagnostics and Therapies Target Rising Gonorrhea Resistance
- New Rapid Ebola Antigen Test Detects Infection at Point of Care
- Syndromic GI Panel Detects Cyclospora for Rapid Case Confirmation
- Rapid Panel Identifies Gram-Negative Pathogens and Resistance Markers in Bloodstream Infections
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
Multiprotein Plasma Panel Identifies Remission in Vasculitis
Vasculitis causes immune-mediated inflammation of blood vessel walls and can lead to kidney and lung damage. Clinicians rely on immunosuppressive drugs, but treatment carries significant side effects and... Read more
Rapid Urine Biomarker Panel Supports Better Kidney Transplant Decisions
Kidney transplantation remains constrained by organ scarcity and uncertainty about the quality of deceased-donor kidneys. In the United States, more than 92,000 people are awaiting a kidney transplant,... Read more
Molecular Diagnostics
view channel
New Liquid Biopsy Approach Shows Promise for Detecting Breast Cancer Recurrence
Many liquid biopsy strategies for monitoring breast cancer recurrence focus on detecting genetic mutations in tumor DNA. Researchers are evaluating whether additional features of circulating cell-free... Read more
Whole-Blood RNA Test Could Improve Breast Cancer Screening in Dense Breasts
Breast cancer screening continues to face challenges, including limited detection of small tumors and uneven participation, particularly among women with dense breasts. These limitations can leave diagnostic... Read more
Hematology
view channel
New Genetic Findings Reveal Cause of Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome
Inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFS) impair the bone marrow’s ability to produce sufficient healthy blood cells and are associated with an increased risk of early-onset myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).... Read more
Ultra-Portable Device Enables Finger-Prick Blood Testing at Home
Patients who need frequent blood tests often face repeated clinic visits that burden services and disrupt care. In the UK, millions of tests are performed each year to diagnose disease, guide therapy,... Read more
Immunology
view channel
AI-Based Antibody Profiling Predicts Strength of COVID-19 Vaccine Response
Vaccine-induced protection can vary widely between individuals, creating uncertainty for clinicians, particularly in patients with immunosuppressive conditions. Demographic and health factors explain only... Read more
Immune Biomarkers May Predict Recurrent Checkpoint Inhibitor Arthritis
Inflammatory arthritis is a recognized immune-related adverse event in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for cancer. Between 20% and 50% of affected patients experience more than... Read more
Pathology
view channel
AI Matches Pathologists in Predicting Breast Cancer Prognosis from Immune Cells
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Australian women, with more than 20,000 cases each year. Prognosis can be informed by counting tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) on routine pathology slides,... Read more
AI-Pathologist Framework Improves Accuracy and Reliability in Cancer Diagnosis
Ensuring reliable cancer diagnosis from digital pathology remains a critical challenge as clinical decisions rely on accurate slide interpretation. While artificial intelligence (AI) has accelerated whole-slide... Read more
New Review Highlights Intelligent Agents as Next Step for Digital Pathology
Digital pathology remains constrained by models that classify single images without mirroring how clinicians interrogate multiple slides, adjust magnification, and synthesize ancillary tests.... Read more
Simple Immunohistochemical Size Ratio Improves Classification of Primary Aldosteronism
Primary aldosteronism is a common but underdiagnosed cause of hypertension, in which excess aldosterone promotes salt retention and raises blood pressure. Identifying the dominant source of hormone overproduction... Read moreTechnology
view channel
Autonomous Robotic System Receives FDA Authorization for Blood Collection
Venipuncture is central to many diagnostic pathways, but routine blood collection can be affected by staffing constraints and procedural variability that influence consistency and patient experience.... Read more
Interoperable Data Platform Standardizes Multi-Cancer Blood Test Results
Proteotype Diagnostics has introduced Alchemi, a proprietary data and clinical workflow platform being developed for Enlighten, the company’s investigational blood-based multi-cancer test.... Read more
Industry
view channel
Companion Diagnostics Expand HER2 Testing in Metastatic Gastroesophageal Cancer
Gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma comprises a group of aggressive cancers that are often diagnosed at an advanced stage and carry poor prognoses. Gastric and esophageal cancers rank among the leading causes... Read more
