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What is LCMV and how is it
spread?
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.g., if wild mice are present).
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. LCMV infection can also
be spread to patients who receive an organ transplant from an
infected donor. However, spread of LCMV infection from one person to
another is not known to occur outside these situations (1).
About 5% of adults have a positive blood test that shows they were
infected with LCMV at some time in their lives (2, 3). Some people
with normal immune systems have no symptoms during LCMV infection.
Others have a mild illness with symptoms such as headache, fever,
chills, and muscle aches. Sometimes, meningitis (inflammation around
the brain and spinal cord) will occur.
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What are the risks of LCMV infection during
pregnancy?
If you have an LCMV infection during your pregnancy, your unborn
baby can also become infected. LCMV infection during pregnancy can
result in loss of the pregnancy. Infants who are infected with LCMV
before they are born can have severe birth defects. It is not known
how often this happens because pregnant women with LCMV infection
might have only mild symptoms or no symptoms at all, and babies
often are not tested for the infection (4, 5). Since LCMV infection
was first identified, more than 50 babies have been reported with
LCMV infection worldwide (6, 7).
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How can I prevent becoming infected with
LCMV?
In general, the risk of LCMV infection is low. If you are pregnant
or planning to become pregnant, you should avoid contact with
rodents, including pets such as hamsters and guinea pigs, and rodent
droppings whenever possible. Following these instructions can reduce
the risk of LCMV infection:
- If you suspect there are mice in your home, call a professional
pest control company to control them or have another member of the
household 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, thoroughly wash your hands afterward.
- Further guidance on preventing LCMV infection, including
management and prevention of rodents in the home, is available at:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/lcmv.htm and
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/lcmv/prevent.pdf
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Is there treatment for LCMV infection
during pregnancy?
Currently, there is no specific treatment available for LCMV
infection. Pregnant women who have LCMV infection should talk with
their doctors about how to manage their symptoms and how the
infection might affect the outcome of their pregnancy.
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.
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For more information:
Organization of Teratology Information Services (OTIS) visit
www.OTISpregnancy.org or
call (866) 626-6847
Special Pathogens Branch of Centers for Disease Control
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/lcmv.htm
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Date: October 5, 2005
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
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