Infectious Disease Compendium

Pregnancy Infections (Review 2014)

Diagnosis

While pregnancy is not an infection in the strictest sense of the term, the pregnant women, (but not the pregnant man) are at increased for worser forms of some infections.

Epidemiologic Risks

Going out on a limb I suspect being pregnant.

Microbiology

Listeria (PubMed), Coccidiomycosis, Tuberculosis, Varicella Zoster, Herpes, Malaria, Measles, Hepatitis E are all worse in pregnancy.

Influenza is particularly deadly in the pregnant female: more hospitalizations from flu increased mortality and smaller children. Early treatment is associated with better outcomes (Pubmed).

Chicken pox can progress to fatal pneumonia (PubMed).

TB review here.

Empiric Therapy

It depends on the infection.

Pearls

There is a postpartum immune reconstitution that may lead to a flare of AFB and fungal infections (PubMed).

Last Update: 01/06/19.