TORCH Infection Trends Point to Need for Tailored Screening in Pregnancy

Congenital TORCH infections can be asymptomatic during pregnancy yet cause stillbirth, birth defects, and lifelong disability in infants. Many regions still lack robust surveillance to guide testing and prevention strategies, while clinicians must balance vaccination, education, and screening across pathogens with distinct epidemiology. A new study highlights persistent maternal-fetal TORCH risks in North India and outlines exposure and immunity trends from recent laboratory testing.

At the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS; New Delhi, India) investigators assessed long‑term trends in TORCH infections in a region where reliable data have been lacking. The team analyzed laboratory records for individuals tested for toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus, and related infections between 2019 and 2025 at a tertiary care teaching hospital in North India. They evaluated antibody patterns associated with prior exposure or immunity.

The analysis found that these infections remain a risk despite improving vaccination rates. Exposure to CMV remained steady throughout the study period, indicating ongoing community circulation and the need for greater awareness. Immunity to rubella was consistently high, suggesting vaccine impact, yet a meaningful minority of patients remained susceptible to rubella and to toxoplasmosis, which is preventable through safe food handling and environmental hygiene.

Findings indicated distinct epidemiological profiles across TORCH pathogens, suggesting that prevention and screening strategies should be tailored rather than uniform. The observations derive from a single‑center, retrospective study presented at ASM Microbe 2026 in Washington, DC. The investigators plan follow‑up work to examine age‑specific and pregnancy‑related risk factors, with emphasis on improving awareness and early identification of CMV and other congenital infections. Larger, multicenter studies were recommended to clarify regional variation.

“We hope this work contributes to more informed public-health policies and better prevention of congenital infections in India and other resource-limited settings. Our findings support the importance of sustained surveillance, targeted public health education and evidence-based screening approaches tailored to regional epidemiological patterns,” said Sudhahar Tamizhan, M.D., a physician at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

“A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to TORCH testing may not always be the most effective strategy,” added Tamizhan,

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AIIMS, New Delhi