Seroprevalence of Eight Viruses and Pertussis in Pregnant Women at a Regional Hospital in Japan in 2022: a Comparison with Previous Studies

This study evaluated the prevalence of antibodies against eight viruses and pertussis in serum samples collected from 191 pregnant women in 2022. Serum IgG antibodies were measured against the following viruses and pertussis toxin (PT): measles virus (MV), rubella virus (RV), mumps virus (MuV), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and human parvovirus B19 (PVB19). Infection history and immunization status for vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles, rubella, mumps, varicella, and pertussis, were simultaneously obtained via a questionnaire. Findings were compared with those of our previous studies using umbilical cord blood samples from 2001-2002 and 2013 (eight viruses) and from 2016-2018 (pertussis). In 2022, seroprevalence rate were 88.5% for MV, 86.4% for RV, 46.1% for MuV, 91.1% for VZV, 47.6% for HSV, 61.3% for CMV, 93.7% for EBV, 69.6% for PVB19, and 63.4% for PT. Seroprevalence declined over time for all diseases except PVB19 and pertussis. Mean IgG antibody titers were significantly lower, despite significantly higher vaccination coverage rates in the four vaccine-preventable viral diseases than in previous studies. Therefore, ongoing monitoring of seroprevalence trends for these pathogens in pregnant women is essential.