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
.jpg)
“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
New
Gold Member
Clinical Chemistry Assay
Sorbitol Dehydrogenase (SDH)
Gold Member
Quality Control Material
iPLEX Pro Exome QC Panel
New
Automated Urinalysis Solution
UN-9000
New
Multi-Chamber Washer-Disinfector
WD 390
Latest Microbiology News
- Rapid Antigen Biosensor Detects Active Tuberculosis in One Hour
- Label-Free Microscopy Methodd Enables Faster, Quantitative Detection of Malaria
- Oral–Gut Microbiome Signatures Identify Early Gastric Cancer
- Gut Microbiome Test Predicts Melanoma Recurrence After Surgery
- Rapid Blood-Culture Susceptibility Panel Expands Coverage for Gram-Negative Infections
- Antibiotic Resistance Genes Found in Newborns Within Hours of Birth
- Rapid Color Test Stratifies Virulent and Resistant Staph Strains
- mNGS CSF Test Identifies CNS Pathogens Missed by Standard Panels
- Syndromic Panel Enables Rapid Identification of Bloodstream Infections
- RNA-Based Workflow Identifies Active Skin Microbes for Dermatology Research
- Cost-Effective Sampling and Sequencing Workflow Identifies ICU Infection Hotspots
- New Bacterial Target Identified for Early Detection of Noma
- Genomic Analysis Links Emerging Streptococcal Strains to Specific Infections
- Rapid Urine Test Speeds Antibiotic Selection for UTIs
- WHO Endorses Rapid Point-of-Care Testing to Improve TB Detection
- Breath Analysis Approach Offers Rapid Detection of Bacterial Infection
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
Routine Blood Tests Identify Biomarkers Linked to PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with a range of chronic physical health conditions and affects multiple organ systems. Clinical laboratories routinely measure blood analytes that reflect... Read more
Proteomic Data Underscore Need for Age-Specific Pediatric Reference Ranges
Serum proteins underpin many routine tests used to detect inflammation, hormonal imbalance, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders. Yet pediatric interpretation often relies on adult reference... Read more
Routine Blood Count Ratio Linked to Future Alzheimer’s and Dementia Risk
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias develop over years, making it difficult to identify at-risk patients before symptoms appear. Clinicians therefore need widely available laboratory markers that... Read more
Label-Free Microfluidic Device Enriches Tumor Cells and Clusters from Pleural Effusions
Diagnosing malignancy from pleural effusion remains challenging because tumor cells are rare and clusters are easily disrupted during processing. Conventional cytology can miss malignant tumor cells and... Read moreMolecular Diagnostics
view channel
Risk Prediction Tool Enhances Genetic Testing for Li-Fraumeni Syndrome
Li-Fraumeni syndrome is a rare hereditary cancer predisposition most often driven by germline mutations in the TP53 tumor suppressor gene. Determining who should receive TP53 testing remains challenging... Read more
Genetic Signature Predicts Myeloid Leukemia Risk in Down Syndrome
Children with Down syndrome face a markedly increased risk of myeloid leukemia, yet early lesions and pre-cancerous cells can appear indistinguishable under the microscope. Many are born with a transient... Read more
Hematology
view channel
Blood Test Enables Early Detection of Multiple Myeloma Relapse
Bone marrow biopsies remain central to diagnosing and monitoring multiple myeloma, yet the procedure is painful, invasive, and often repeated over time. Older patients—who represent most new cases—can... Read more
Single Assay Enables Rapid HLA and ABO Genotyping for Transplant Matching
CareDx (Brisbane, CA, USA) has introduced AlloSeq Nano, a nanopore‑based HLA (human leukocyte antigen) and ABO genotyping solution unveiled at the European Federation for Immunogenetics (EFI) Conference 2026.... Read more
Immunology
view channel
Study Highlights Low Sensitivity of Current Lyme Tests in Early Infection
Accurate laboratory diagnosis of early Lyme disease remains challenging because serologic responses may be limited soon after infection. Missed detection at this stage can delay evaluation and management... Read more
Immune Aging Clock Quantifies Immunosenescence and Identifies Therapeutic Target
Immune aging undermines host defense and contributes to multiple age-related diseases, yet its heterogeneity complicates measurement and intervention. Clinical laboratories increasingly seek objective... Read more
Pathology
view channel
Multimodal AI Tool Predicts Genetic Alterations to Guide Breast Cancer Treatment
PIK3CA mutations are key biomarkers for selecting phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)–targeted therapies in breast cancer, yet access to molecular testing can be inconsistent and costly. Conventional polymerase... Read more
Interpretable AI Reveals Hidden Cellular Features from Microscopy Images
Microscopy images contain rich clues about cell health, but many disease-relevant morphological differences are too subtle to see and difficult to quantify consistently. Artificial intelligence (AI) has... Read more
Technology
view channel
Microfluidic Single-Cell Assay Predicts Breast Cancer Risk
Risk stratification for breast cancer remains imprecise, as population-based models and breast density can over- or underestimate individual risk, potentially leading to over- or under-screening.... Read more
AI Tool Predicts Non-Response to Targeted Therapy in Colorectal Cancer
Advanced bowel cancer remains difficult to treat, and many patients receive targeted therapies that do not help them but still cause harm. Clinicians need reliable ways to identify likely responders before... Read more
Industry
view channel
Collaboration Expands Access to Rapid Metagenomic Diagnostics for Complex Infections
Hospitals are seeing rising rates of complicated and healthcare-associated infections, especially in immunocompromised patients, intensifying the need for rapid, comprehensive pathogen detection.... Read more
