Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus pregnancy

Refer to the Help section for more detailed instructions. Select one Select one.. Clear All Search. Back to Previous Page. Copy Export. Details You May Also Like. Details: Corporate Authors:. Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus LCMV is carried by wild mice. Laboratory rodents and pet rodents, such as hamsters and guinea pigs, can become infected with LCMV from contact with wild mice. This can happen in a breeding facility, in a laboratory facility, in a pet store, or in the home e.

Humans can become infected with LCMV through contact with urine, blood, saliva, droppings, or nesting materials of infected rodents. This could occur, for example, through a break in the skin or a bite from an infected rodent.

Infection can also be spread by inhaling dust or droplets containing LCMV, such as while sweeping infected rodent droppings. A pregnant woman who becomes infected with LCMV can pass the infection to her unborn baby.

However, spread of LCMV infection from one person to another is not known to occur outside these situations. This initial phase, which may last as long as a week, typically begins with any or all of the following symptoms: fever, malaise, lack of appetite, muscle aches, headache, nausea, and vomiting.

Other symptoms appearing less frequently include sore throat, cough, joint pain, chest pain, testicular pain, and parotid salivary gland pain. Following a few days of recovery, a second phase of illness may occur.

Symptoms may consist of meningitis fever, headache, stiff neck, etc. LCMV has also been known to cause acute hydrocephalus increased fluid on the brain , which often requires surgical shunting to relieve increased intracranial pressure. In rare instances, infection results in myelitis inflammation of the spinal cord and presents with symptoms such as muscle weakness, paralysis, or changes in body sensation.

An association between LCMV infection and myocarditis inflammation of the heart muscles has been suggested. Previous observations show that most patients who develop aseptic meningitis or encephalitis due to LCMV survive. No chronic infection has been described in humans, and after the acute phase of illness, the virus is cleared from the body.

This is called congenital LCMV. The most common known birth defects from congenital LCMV are fluid in the brain hydrocephalus , small head size microencephaly , a part of the brain cerebellum that is not completely developed or is smaller than it should be cerebellar hypoplasia , eye problems that can lead to vision loss chorioretinitis , and effects on brain development ranging from mild learning disabilities to more severe developmental disability. There have not been enough reported cases of congenital LCMV to know whether these more severe cases are typical.

The chance of these brain, eye, and developmental effects appears to be higher when a person who is pregnant gets an LCMV infection in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. It is not known how likely it is that an LCMV infection in pregnancy will pass to the baby, or what the chance of birth defects is if that happens.

It is not known how many people have had LCMV during pregnancy and still had healthy babies. A blood test can screen for an LCMV infection. There is no evidence to suggest that LCMV can be passed to a baby through breast milk. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about all of your breastfeeding questions. LCMV has not been studied for effects on male fertility. In general, exposures that fathers and sperm donors have are unlikely to increase risks to a pregnancy.

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What is lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus LCMV?