Abstract
BACKGROUND: It has recently been shown that Ljungan virus (LV) is associated with disease in its wild rodent reservoir. In addition, it has been demonstrated that LV causes malformations and perinatal death in a mouse model. The question was therefore raised whether LV is a zoonotic agent in humans. METHODS: Population fluctuations of native rodents in Sweden were compared to the incidence of intrauterine fetal deaths (IUFDs) using the Swedish national hospitalization database. Formalin-fixed tissues from cases of IUFD were investigated using LV-specific immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Variation in the incidence of IUFDs closely tracked the fluctuations in native rodent populations. LV was detected in the brain tissue in 4 of 10 cases of IUFDs investigated by immunochemistry. LV was also detected in the placenta in 5 of the 10 IUFD cases, but in none of 20 placentas from normal pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS: LV may play an important role in IUFDs.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 488-493 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Birth Defects Research Part A - Clinical and Molecular Teratology |
Volume | 79 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2007 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Epidemiology
- Immunohistochemistry
- Infection
- Intrauterine deaths
- Ljungan virus
- Zoonotic
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Embryology
- Developmental Biology