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Rubella virus infection can cause vertical transmission to the fetus during pregnancy. In China's Henan province, rubella surveillance needs to be well‐established. In this research, a total of 1933 neonates and 2502 pregnant women were enrolled, and their sera for IgG and IgM antibodies against rubella were tested by chemiluminescence assay. Of 1933 neonates' sera tested, the seropositive of rubella IgG was 68.7%. The seroprevalence of rubella IgM in neonates was 0.4%. 30.9% of neonates had negative results for IgG and IgM antibodies. Two thousand five hundred and two pregnant women participated in the serosurvey, and 79.3% were rubella IgG positive. Rubella IgG seropositivity in pregnant women differed by age and number of births. 0.8% of the pregnant women had positive results for IgM against the rubella virus. The seronegative of rubella IgG and IgM antibodies in pregnant women was 19.8%. Due to the negative rubella‐specific IgG antibody, many neonates remain at risk of rubella virus infection. Rubella virus continues to spread since some neonates and pregnant women with rubella‐specific IgM antibody positive have been detected. Rubella vaccination may be introduced for childbearing‐age women to increase immunity levels against rubella with periodic sero‐surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: TORCH (Toxoplasma gondii [TOX], Cytomegalovirus [CMV], Rubella virus [RV], and Herpes simplex virus [HSV]) represents pathogens known to traverse the maternal-fetal barrier and cause severe neonatal anomalies. We aimed to assess the prevalence of preconception TOX, CMV, and RV infections among women with fertility desire in southern China, and identify related risk factors. Methods: Data were obtained from a population-based cross-sectional study conducted as part of the National Free Preconception Health Examination Project. Women planning to conceive within the next 6 months in Guangdong Province were enrolled between 2014 and 2019. Information on sociodemographic, gynecological, and obstetric characteristics was collected. Sera were analyzed for TOX IgG, CMV IgG, and RV IgG antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Descriptive, univariate, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between TORCH infections and related factors. Results: Among 2,409,137 participants, the prevalence of IgG antibodies for TOX, CMV, and RV was 3.20% (95% CI: 3.18–3.22%), 77.67% (95% CI: 77.62–77.71%) and 76.03% (95% CI: 75.98–76.07%), respectively. Of all participants, 141,047 women (5.85%, 95% CI:5.83–5.88%) reported a history of immunization for RV. Women living in the Pearl River Delta, a more developed region, have significantly lower vaccination rates than those living in other regions. The seropositivity of TOX IgG was highest among women aged 35 years and above, with primary or lower education levels, and rural registration. Factors such as being older, having a higher educational level, and being of other ethnicities were associated with a higher prevalence of naturally acquired CMV and RV infections. Women living in the Pearl River Delta showed a higher risk of TOX, CMV, and RV infections, with aORs of 2.21, 4.45, and 1.76, respectively. A history of pregnancy, gynecological diseases, and sexually transmitted infections were potentially associated with TORCH infections, but this association varied across pathogens. Conclusion: The findings of this study update the baseline of preconception TORCH infections among women with fertility desire in southern China, helping to estimate the risk of congenital infection and guide the development and implementation of effective prevention measures for preconception TORCH infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: TORCH infections are the most common prenatal infections causing congenital malformation and infant mortality, especially in developing countries. Migrant women might be vulnerable to TORCH infections, but little is known about the association between migration-related characteristics and TORCH infection risk. This study aimed to investigate the impact of migrant status, migration distance, and the spouse's migrant status on the TORCH epidemic among women of childbearing age. Methods: Based on the National Free Preconception Health Examination Project, we analyzed a representative dataset of TORCH infections among women of childbearing age (15–49 years old) in Guangdong Province of China (2014–2019, n = 2,451,297). The past and/or recent infection status of TORCH infections (Toxoplasma gondii [TOX], Cytomegalovirus [CMV], and Rubella virus [RV]) were identified. Demographic and migration-related characteristics were collected. We thoroughly assessed the prevalence of TORCH infections in both migrant and native women and estimated adjusted odd ratios (aOR) for migration-related characteristics using multivariable logistic regression after adjusting the other sociodemographic factors. Results: Among all 2,451,297 participants, 443,725 (18.1%) were migrant women. Migrant women presented a lower risk of past TOX infection (aOR: 0.89, 0.88–0.91) suggesting a healthy migrant effect (HME), but a higher risk of recent TOX infection (aOR: 1.88, 1.77–1.99), past CMV infection (aOR: 1.26, 1.25–1.28) and RV infection in natural ways (aOR: 1.05, 1.04–1.06). Compared with intra-provincial migrants, inter-provincial migrants had a lower past TOX infection (aOR: 0.88, 0.85–0.91), but a higher risk of recent TOX infection (aOR: 1.16, 1.05–1.27) and RV infection (aOR: 1.33, 1.31–1.36). In addition, having a migrant spouse was associated with a higher risk for all types of infection. Conclusion: This study reported the association of migrant status and migration distance with TORCH infections, although the significance and directionality of these associations varied between pathogens. The spouse's migrant status further amplified the infection risk for all types of pathogens. Our findings suggested interventions for preventing the spread of CMV and RV infection and new acquisition of TOX infection for migrants in southern China, to narrow the native-migrant health inequity and decrease the incidence of prenatal infections and related adverse outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To identify the types of viral infection in aqueous humor (AqH) among patients diagnosed as Fuchs uveitis syndrome (FUS) or Posner-Schlossman syndrome (PSS) and investigate their relevance to clinical manifestations and visual outcome., Methods: A total of 375 patients and 171 patients were diagnosed as FUS or PSS in our department. AqH and serum samples from 68 FUS patients and 16 PSS patients were obtained during eye surgery. The viral etiologies, clinical features, auxiliary tests and visual prognosis of patients with FUS or PSS who underwent AqH analysis were analysed and compared., Results: Among 68 FUS patients, rubella virus (RV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella-zoster virus were identified in 17, 11, 1 and 1 patients, respectively. Seven patients with CMV and 1 with HSV were identified in 16 PSS patients. In both FUS and PSS groups, virus-associated eyes had higher proportion of secondary glaucoma and worse visual prognosis as compared with non-virus-associated eyes (all P < 0.05). In FUS group, specifically, CMV infection manifested as more obvious anterior segment inflammation and lower corneal endothelial cell density (CECD). RV infection showed a higher percentage of vitritis. In PSS group, CMV-associated PSS had a lower retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and CECD, worse visual prognosis as compared with non-virus-associated PSS (all P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Our study identified 4 types of viral infection in FUS and 2 types of viral infection in PSS. Virus-associated patients are usually associated with more obvious clinical signs and poor visual prognosis., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Serological screening for TORCH(Toxoplasma gondii [TOX], Rubella virus [RV], Cytomegalovirus [CMV], and Herpes simplex virus [HSV]) infections is an effective method for preventing congenital infections caused by TORCH pathogens.In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the characteristics of TORCH infections in 17,807 infertile women of childbearing age in northwest China.We conducted serological detection of TORCH-pathogen-specific IgM and IgG antibodies. The seroprevalence of TORCH infections was statistically analyzed by applying χ2 and Fisher exact-probability tests to evaluate the differences among ages and across quarters of the year. The overall IgM/IgG seroprevalences of TOX, RV, CMV, HSV-1, and HSV-2 were 0.46/3.4%, 0.77/84.93%, 0.68/97.54%, 1.2/82.83%, and 0.62/10.04%, respectively. The positive rates for RV-IgM in women ≥ 40 years old were significantly higher than those for women 25-39 (P < 0.05) years of age. The seroprevalence of HSV1-IgM was higher in the third and fourth quarters of the year (seasons) (P < 0.001), and the seroprevalence of CMV-IgG was statistically significant between differences quarters (P = 0.017), and the seroprevalence of CMV-IgG in the first quarter was lower than that in the third and fourth quarters (Bonferroni correction, P = 0.009 > 0.0083), suggesting no statistically significant difference between the latter two groups. This study showed that in northwestern China the risk of acquiring primary infection by a TORCH pathogen among infertile women of childbearing age were still high, especially Toxoplasma gondii and Herpesvirus type 2 infection. Therefore, effective prevention strategies that include serological screening for TORCH should be implemented., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Society for Reproductive Investigation.)

To better understand the importation and circulation patterns of rubella virus lineages 1E-L2 and 2B-L2c circulating in China since 2018, 3,312 viral strains collected from 27 out of 31 provinces in China between 2018 and 2021 were sequenced and analyzed with the representative international strains of lineages 1E-L2 and 2B-L2c based on genotyping region. Time-scale phylogenetic analysis revealed that the global lineages 1E-L2 and 2B-L2c presented distinct evolutionary patterns. Lineage 1E-L2 circulated in relatively limited geographical areas (mainly Asia) and showed geographical and temporal clustering, while lineage 2B-L2c strains circulated widely throughout the world and exhibited a complicated topology with several independently evolved branches. Furthermore, both lineages showed extensive international transmission activities, and phylogeographic inference provided evidence that lineage 1E-L2 strains circulating in China possibly originated from Japan, while the source of lineage 2B-L2c isolated since 2018 is still unclear. After importation into China in 2018, the spread of lineage 1E-L2 presented a three-stage transmission pattern from southern to northern China, whereas lineage 2B-L2c spread from a single point in western China to all the other four regions. These two transmission patterns allowed both imported lineages to spread rapidly across China during the 2018–9 rubella epidemic and eventually established endemic circulations. This study provides critical scientific data for rubella control and elimination in China and worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rubella virus is the most teratogenic virus known to science and is capable of causing large epidemics. The RA 27/3 rubella vaccine, usually combined with measles vaccine, has eliminated rubella and congenital rubella syndrome from much of the world, notably from the Western Hemisphere. Except in immunosuppressed individuals, it is remarkably safe. Together with rubella vaccine strains used in China and Japan, eradication of the rubella virus is possible, indeed more feasible than eradication of measles or mumps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship among the Herpes simplex virus, Cytomegalovirus, and Rubella virus with non-small cell lung cancer is still unclear. Herein we analyze the expression of three different viruses in NSCLC and try to identify the relationship of the viruses involved in lung carcinogenesis. This study enrolled 61 patients who underwent surgery between January 2018 and June 2019 at the Department of the Thoracic Surgery at West China Hospital and 55 healthy volunteers during the same period for comparison purposes. The expression of three viruses IgM and IgG were analyzed by plasma ELISA. The experiments were approved by the West China Hospital Ethics committee (No. 2018 (33)) and all patients agreed to participate in the study and signed an informed consent form. In the healthy group, only one patient was Cytomegalovirus IgG positive and two patients were herpes simplex virus IgG positive in the test. With the Rubella virus IgG test, all the healthy volunteers were negative results. In the patient group, however, with the Cytomegalovirus IgG test, all the 61 patients showed the positive results. By testing the herpes simplex virus IgG, there were 60 patients showing the positive results. With the Rubella virus IgG test, exceeding half of total patients displayed the positive consequences. We also found that CMV-IgM and RV-IgM in 61 patients with NSCLC were negative expression in the serum; there were 3 positive cases with HSV-IgM. There were no positive expressions of CMV-IgM, RV-IgM, and HSV-IgM in serum of 55 healthy controls. A significant increase in the level of antibodies to capsid CMV, HSV, and RV antigen was established in patients with NSCLC as compared with healthy controls in our research. But more basic experimental researches need to be done. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was conducted on rural women of childbearing age aged 20-49 who underwent the National Free Preconception Health Examination Project (NFPHEP)in Yunnan Province from 2013 to 2019. Descriptive analysis was conducted to determine the negative rate of IgG antibodies against the rubella virus and its differences among various socio-demographic characteristics. Among the 1 511 203 study subjects, the negative rate of IgG antibodies against the rubella virus was 24.36%. Only 2.64% of the population had received rubella virus vaccine. The negative rate of IgG antibodies among rural childbearing-age women in the preconception period in Yunnan Province decreased with age and educational level ( P t <0.001). The negative rate of IgG antibodies in ethnic minority women of childbearing age in the preconception period (25.19%) was higher than that of Han women (23.88%). Among the 22 ethnic groups with over 1 000 participants, the negative rates of IgG antibodies in women of childbearing age from the Blang (32.85%), Bouyei (31.03%), Zhuang (31.01%), and Miao (30.70%) ethnic groups were higher than those of women from other ethnic groups. Among the 16 states (cities) in Yunnan Province, the negative rate of IgG antibodies in pregnant women of childbearing age in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture (38.06%) and Lincang City (32.63%) was higher than that in other states (cities). The negative rate of serum IgG antibodies in women who reported having received rubella virus vaccine (18.60%) was lower than that in other non-vaccinated populations (24.52%). The proportion of rural women of childbearing age in Yunnan Province who were susceptible to the rubella virus before pregnancy was still high. It is necessary to promote rubella vaccination among people susceptible to rubella, especially pregnant women, to prevent rubella virus infection and reduce the incidence rate and disease burden of rubella people.rend <0.001). The negative rate of IgG antibodies in ethnic minority women of childbearing age in the preconception period (25.19%) was higher than that of Han women (23.88%). Among the 22 ethnic groups with over 1 000 participants, the negative rates of IgG antibodies in women of childbearing age from the Blang (32.85%), Bouyei (31.03%), Zhuang (31.01%), and Miao (30.70%) ethnic groups were higher than those of women from other ethnic groups. Among the 16 states (cities) in Yunnan Province, the negative rate of IgG antibodies in pregnant women of childbearing age in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture (38.06%) and Lincang City (32.63%) was higher than that in other states (cities). The negative rate of serum IgG antibodies in women who reported having received rubella virus vaccine (18.60%) was lower than that in other non-vaccinated populations (24.52%). The proportion of rural women of childbearing age in Yunnan Province who were susceptible to the rubella virus before pregnancy was still high. It is necessary to promote rubella vaccination among people susceptible to rubella, especially pregnant women, to prevent rubella virus infection and reduce the incidence rate and disease burden of rubella people.

Abstract: Background: The primary infection of Toxoplasma gondii (TOX), rubella virus (RV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), or herpes simplex virus (HSV), abbreviated as TORCH, remains a major problem in the pregnant women in China today. Methods: We analyzed the performance of a novel chemiluminesent immunoassay (CLIA) for anti-TORCH IgM and IgG detection then analyzed the prevalence of TORCH infection among 4692 women at childbearing age in Beijing, China. Results: The functional sensitivity of detecting anti-TOX IgM, anti-RV IgM, anti-CMV IgM and anti-HSV (types 1 and 2) IgM were 1.4, 3.2, 1.0 AU/ml and 0.5 index, respectively. The within-assay and the total CVs were both <10%, and recoveries of these assays ranged from 90–110%. High concentration of hemoglobin, lipids and bilirubin in sample did not affect the results. The infective rate of TORCH was 17.2%, with the highest positive rate of anti-HSV IgM. Within anti-TORCH IgG, anti-CMV IgG had the highest infective rate, 92.5%. Conclusions: The infective rate of TORCH was fairly high among women before pregnancy or in the early period of pregnancy in Beijing. Entirely new approaches to prevention and treatment of congenital TORCH infection are necessary. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: To provide a better understanding of the progress on rubella control and elimination in China, a genetic analysis was conducted to examine the transmission pattern of the endemic rubella virus in China during 2010-2019., Methods: A total of 4895 strains were obtained from 29 of the 31 provinces in mainland China during 2010-2019. The genotyping regions of the strains were amplified, determined, and assembled. Genotyping analysis and lineage division were performed by comparisons with the World Health Organization reference strains and reported lineage reference strains, respectively. Further phylogenetic analyses were performed to compare the genetic relationship., Results: During 2010-2019, the domestic lineage 1E-L1 and multiple imported lineages of rubella viruses including 2B-L1, 1E-L2, and 2B-L2c were identified. Further analysis of the circulation trend of the different lineages indicated that 2 switches occurred among the lineages. The first shift was from lineage 1E-L1 to 2B-L1, which occurred around 2015-2016, followed by the lowest rubella incidence in 2017. The second shift was from lineage 2B-L1 to 1E-L2 and 2B-L2c, which occurred around 2018-2019, coinciding with rubella resurgence and the subsequent nationwide epidemic during 2018-2019. Insufficient genomic information worldwide made it impossible to trace the origin of the imported viruses., Conclusions: China was moving toward rubella elimination, as evidenced by the fact that previous endemic lineages were not detected. However, rubella reemerged in 2018 2019 due to the newly imported rubella viruses. Therefore, to realize the rubella elimination goal, joint efforts are required for all countries worldwide., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objectives: TORCH infections caused by Toxoplasma gondii (TOX), rubella virus (RV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and herpes simplex virus 1,2 (HSV-1,2) are associated with congenital anomalies. The study aimed to analyze the characteristics of TORCH screening in reproductive age women.Methods: A total of 18,104 women (2015-2017) from a teaching hospital in Xi'an, China, were enrolled in the study. The characteristics of TORCH screening, i.e., the application of TORCH test, the seroprevalence, the impact of age, periods of gestation and woman with bad obstetric history (BOH) on the serological data were investigated.Results: In the study, 319 women (1.76%) performed dynamic TORCH test. 51.66, 20.44 and 3.83% of the population did the test in the pre-gestation period, the first and third trimester, respectively. Quite a few pre-gestation women (29.74%) ignored screening of IgG antibodies. The overall IgG/IgM seropositvity of TOX, RV, CMV, HSV-1 and HSV-2 was 4.35%/0.35, 90%/0.63, 96.79%/0.97, 81.11%/0.14 and 6.1%/0.19%, respectively. The age-specific distributions and periods of gestation had no significant effect on the seroprevalence of TORCH agents, p>0.05. However, BOH was significantly associated with higher seropositvity of IgM (RV, CMV, HSV-1 and HSV-2) and IgG (CMV and HSV-1) antibodies, p < 0.05.Conclusion: In Xi'an region, more attentions should be paid to TOX, CMV, HSV-2 and the women with BOH for TORCH screening. Meanwhile, a greater emphasis needs to be placed on TORCH test used inappropriately in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rubella remains a significant burden in mainland China. In this report, 667 viruses collected in 24 of 31 provinces of mainland China during 2010-2012 were sequenced and analyzed, significantly extending previous reports on limited numbers of viruses collected before 2010. Only viruses of genotypes 1E and 2B were found. Genotype 1E viruses were found in all 24 provinces. Genotype 1E viruses were likely introduced into mainland China around 1997 and endemic transmission of primarily one lineage became established. Viruses reported here from 2010-2012 are largely in a single cluster within this lineage. Genotype 2B viruses were rarely detected in China prior to 2010. This report documents a previously undetected 2B lineage, which likely became endemic in eastern provinces of China between 2010 and 2012. Bayesian analyses were performed to estimate the evolutionary rates and dates of appearance of the genotype 1E and 2B viral linages in China. A skyline plot of viral population diversity did not provide evidence of reduction of diversity as a result of vaccination, but should be useful as a baseline for such reductions as vaccination programs for rubella become widespread in mainland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genotype 1F was likely localized geographically to China as it has not been reported elsewhere. In this study, whole genome sequences of two rubella 1F virus isolates were completed. Both viruses contained 9,761 nt with a single nucleotide deletion in the intergenic region, compared to the NCBI rubella reference sequence (NC 001545). No evidence of recombination was found between 1F and other rubella viruses. The genetic distance between 1F viruses and 10 other rubella virus genotypes (1a, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1G, 1J 2A, 2B, and 2C) ranged from 3.9% to 8.6% by pairwise comparison. A region known to be hypervariable in other rubella genotypes was also the most variable region in the 1F genomes. Comparisons to all available rubella virus sequences from GenBank identified 22 nucleotide variations exclusively in 1F viruses. Among these unique variations, C9306U is located within the recommended molecular window for rubella virus genotyping assignment, could be useful to confirm 1F viruses. Using the Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, the time of the most recent common ancestor for the genotype 1F was estimated between 1976 and 1995. Recent rubella molecular surveillance suggests that this indigenous strain may have circulated for less than three decades, as it has not been detected since 2002., (© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)