Little is published on cytomegalovirus (CMV) serological screening at the first antenatal visit or the contemporary CMV seroprevalence rates among the Australian pregnant population. We performed a retrospective analysis of public hospital births in a major tertiary centre (n = 840) over a two month period. We found that 13.6% (95% confidence interval (CI) 11.4-16.1%) of women had been screened for CMV at their first antenatal visit with their general practitioner. Of these, 43.0% (95% CI 34.3-52.1%) were CMV seronegative and therefore susceptible to primary infection. Seronegative women were also more likely to have been born in an economically developed country, to live in a socio-economically advantaged postcode and to be nulliparous. The information from this study may help guide future studies of congenital CMV risk reduction strategies.
Keywords: CMV seronegative risk factors; antenatal; cytomegalovirus; cytomegalovirus serological screening; maternal seroprevalence.
© 2023 The Authors. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.