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What is LCMV and how is it spread?
How can LCMV affect my unborn baby?
How can I protect my unborn baby from LCMV?
Is treatment available?
For more information
What is LCMV and how is
it spread?
LCMV (Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus) is a virus that can cause
infection in animals and humans. Wild mice can carry LCMV and infect
pet rodents, such as hamsters, pet mice, and guinea pigs. People can
be infected through contact with urine, blood, saliva, droppings, or
nesting materials of infected rodents. A pregnant woman who becomes
infected can pass the infection onto her unborn baby.
Examples of how you can become infected include:
- Inhaling (breathing in) dust or droplets while sweeping up
droppings from an infected rodent.
- Touching infected rodent urine or droppings and then
touching your eyes or the inside of your nose or mouth.
- Being bitten by an infected rodent.
How can LCMV affect my
unborn baby?
If you have an LCMV infection while you’re pregnant your unborn baby
can also become infected. LCMV infection can cause severe birth
defects or loss of the pregnancy (miscarriage).
How can I protect my
unborn baby from LCMV?
The risk of LCMV infection is low. If you are pregnant or
planning to become pregnant, you should avoid contact with wild or
pet rodents, such as hamsters, pet mice and guinea pigs.
Follow these instructions to reduce the risk of LCMV infection:
- If you think there are mice in your home, call a
professional pest control company to control them or have
someone else remove them.
- Avoid vacuuming or sweeping rodent urine, droppings, or
nesting materials.
- Ask a friend or family member who does not live with you to
care for pet rodents in his or her home while you are pregnant.
If this is not possible, keep the pet rodent in a separate part
of the home and have another family member or friend care for
the pet and clean its cage. Avoid being in the same room where
the rodent is kept.
- If you have contact with a wild rodent or its urine,
droppings, or nesting materials, wash your hands very well with
soap and water afterwards.
- You can find more tips on preventing LCMV infection,
including how to prevent and control wild rodents in the home,
at:
http://wwwdev.cdc.gov/ncbddd/bd/lcmv.htm
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/lcmv.htm
and
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/lcmv/prevent.pdf
Is treatment
available?
Currently, there is no treatment available for LCMV infection. If
you are pregnant and have come in contact with a rodent, or have
fever or other symptoms during your pregnancy, contact your doctor.
A blood test is available to detect current or previous LCMV
infection. Having had LCMV infection in the past is not a risk for
current or future pregnancies.
More information for
researchers and healthcare professionals:
Organization of Teratology Information Services (OTIS) visit
www.OTISpregnancy.org or
call (866) 626-6847
CDC LCMV Web page:
(Detailed information on LCMV for pet owners, physicians, and the
public.)
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/lcmv.htm
Date: September 20, 2006
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
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