The serological profile of herpes virus amongst patients with bad obstetric history

Aim & objectivesThe aim of the study is to evaluate the incidence of Herpes infection (HSV-2) in women with Bad Obstetric History (BOH).Material and methodA retrospective study was conducted on 600 patients with BOH whose blood samples were referred to National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi from various government hospitals of Delhi. ELISA was performed on these samples to detect HSV-2 IgM antibodies to establish the recent infection.ResultsOut of the 600 samples screened; 42 (7%) tested positive. Of these 42 cases, 36 (85.7%) belonged to adult females with history of repeated abortions/stillbirth deliveries. Rest 6 were neonates of whom 4 (9.5%) had disseminated herpes, and 1 (2.3%) had neonatal cholestasis and history of fever with rash.ConclusionThis study showed significant correlation between HSV-2 infections and recurrent abortions in women and/or congenital/perinatal infection in neonates. As HSV-2 is a preventable & treatable disease, it should be actively looked in for in patients with BOH.