SARS and Pregnancy: A Case Report

Abstract

We report a laboratory-confirmed case of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in a pregnant woman. Although the patient had respiratory failure, a healthy infant was subsequently delivered, and the mother is now well. There was no evidence of viral shedding at delivery. Antibodies to SARS virus were detected in cord blood and breast milk.

Viral Respiratory Disease in Pregnancy

“…51,52,64 One of the main differences between these cases and the series from Hong Kong was the use of ribavirin. There are three case reports of pregnant women with SARS that were treated in North America (two in the United States and one in Canada).…”

“…Three types of tests are used to confirm the diagnosis. 51,52,[62][63][64] Although the case numbers of pregnant women with SARS are limited, there appears to be a 25% rate mortality associated with SARS in pregnancy, 62 which is significantly higher than the general population mortality rate of 9.6%. For the serologic test to be positive, there must be a four-fold or greater rise in the antibody titer between the acute and convalescent stages, or the documentation of a negative antibody test in the acute stage followed by conversion to a positive test in the convalescent stage.…”

“…58,64 Pregnant women with mild or controlled disease do not require elective delivery. 51,52,[62][63][64]67,68 Conclusion Viral infection plays an important role in respiratory diseases of pregnant women. 67 Newborns delivered by women with either acute or convalescent SARS do not appear to be at risk of vertical transmission, but because antibodies to SARS have been found in the breast milk, patients are advised against breast feeding until more is known about transmission.…”

Emerging Infections and Pregnancy: West Nile Virus, Monkeypox, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, and Bioterrorism

“…Two of the eight people who had laboratory-confirmed SARS in the United States in 2003 were pregnant women [24][25][26]. Both had traveled to Hong Kong and stayed in the same hotel as the physician who is thought to be the source of infection for index case-patients in a variety of countries.…”

“…She recovered and did well until 38 weeks gestation, when she underwent cesarean delivery for a complete placenta previa. The infant was normal-appearing and had no evidence of infection; however, clinical specimens from the infant were not tested for SARS coronavirus [24,25]. The second patient in the United States was a 38-year-old who traveled to Hong Kong at 7 weeks gestation.…”