PD178 - THE RISK OF CYTOMEGALOVIRUS (CMV) INFECTION IN FEMALE HEALTHCARE WORKERS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW (ID 511)
Abstract
Backgrounds:
CMV is a common, mild virus for immunocompetent individuals, but may cause congenital defects in babies of infected mothers. The consensus, without clear evidence, is that women in healthcare are more likely to contract CMV. Globally, there are differing occupational health policies, including exclusion of at-risk pregnant women from patient contact (as described in Germany and Italy). The aim of this systematic review was to determine if there is an increased risk of CMV for women in healthcare.
Methods
We searched for recent publications (2000-2020) in Medline, Embase and Cochrane and identified 1478 papers. 48 were explored in further detail by two reviewers. 8 articles with data on CMV seroprevalence in female healthcare workers were summarised independently.
Results:
2 studies met the exact criteria of our systematic review protocol, which was to compare CMV seroprevalence in female healthcare workers versus unexposed females (Table 1). Both groups did not find a statistically significant difference between the exposed and unexposed. The remaining 6 studies had data to support the review, but did not strictly adhere to the inclusion criteria for several reasons (no control group, inclusion of male participants, and inclusion of other occupations [ie. childcare]).
| N. Lepage et al. | P. Zajac et al. | |
| Country | France | Poland |
| Exposed Seroprevalence % | 49.7% (n=386) | 87.8% (n=90) |
| Unexposed Seroprevalence % | 48.8% (n=164) | 86.7% (n=30) |
| Statistically significant difference? | No | No |
Conclusions/Learning Points:
This systematic review highlights that there are very few recent studies to support or refute the theory that female healthcare workers are at greater risk of contracting CMV. This requires further evaluation to help guide occupational health policies and future vaccination policies.
