Objective: To evaluate the presence and levels of cytomegalovirus (CMV) cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragments in women pregnant with a fetus with symptomatic congenital CMV (cCMV).
Methods: The study comprised nine women whose fetuses were diagnosed with cCMV between June 2019 and July 2024 at 20 + 4 to 34 + 1 weeks' gestation (n = 8) or neonatally (n = 1) after primary or non-primary maternal infection. In eight women, cfDNA sequencing data from a single timepoint were analyzed, either retrospectively, on data generated from 11-13 weeks' gestation (n = 5) or prospectively, on data generated from 20-26 weeks' gestation (n = 3), upon the diagnosis of cCMV. In one woman (Case 6), CMV-cfDNA analysis was performed at four timepoints: at 12 + 5 weeks (routine non-invasive prenatal testing); 23 + 3 weeks (cCMV diagnosis); and 30 min and 12 h after termination of pregnancy (TOP) at 23 + 6 weeks.
Results: CMV-cfDNA was detectable in all cases. Mostly low levels of CMV-cfDNA were observed in samples obtained at 11-13 weeks' gestation and consistently high levels of CMV-cfDNA were present in samples obtained at cCMV diagnosis. In Case 6, the level of maternal CMV-cfDNA decreased substantially in the samples tested after TOP, compared with samples obtained before TOP.
Conclusions: Low levels of CMV-cfDNA detected between 11 and 13 weeks may be a biomarker for severe fetal cCMV. CMV-cfDNA analysis in the first trimester could be of added value in CMV screening, particularly for non-primary maternal infections that cannot be identified using other methods. However, as CMV-cfDNA is detectable in many pregnant women in the first trimester, further studies are needed to determine the predictive value of CMV-cfDNA as a biomarker for the development of severe fetal cCMV. High levels of CMV-cfDNA at fetal cCMV diagnosis and low levels directly after TOP suggest that the level of CMV-cfDNA in maternal plasma may not necessarily reflect an active maternal infection, but could indicate a placental infection. © 2025 The Author(s). Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Objective: To investigate the ongoing parvovirus B19 (B19V) outbreak among pregnant women in Germany and its connection to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed anonymous data regarding serologically confirmed B19V infections during pregnancy between January 2014 and April 2024 across 13 major fetal medicine centers in Germany. We evaluated the yearly frequency of B19V cases, cases that underwent intrauterine transfusion (IUT), cases presenting with hydrops fetalis and cases of intrauterine fetal death (IUFD) related to B19V infection, and stratified these variables by event occurrence < 20 weeks' gestation or ≥ 20 weeks' gestation. Variables were compared across three subperiods: pre COVID-19 pandemic, during the COVID-19 pandemic and post COVID-19 pandemic.
Results: Data from 918 pregnant women with confirmed B19V infection revealed a significant B19V outbreak since the end of 2023. The mean ± SD number of annual cases was 57.3 ± 20.7 pre COVID-19, 20.3 ± 13.5 during COVID-19 and surged to 384.8 ± 299.8 post COVID-19 (P < 0.01). Correspondingly, the number of cases in which the fetus underwent IUT increased post COVID-19. The proportion of B19V diagnoses made before 20 weeks' gestation increased from 32.3% pre COVID-19 to 53.2% post COVID-19 (P < 0.001).
Conclusions: These results demonstrate an unforeseen increase in B19V infections during pregnancy after the COVID-19 pandemic, with a consequent rise in B19V cases with fetal anemia. The introduced policies during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the B19V infection rate but likely conditioned the present ongoing upsurge. Counseling, early detection and access to specialized centers performing IUT are essential measures required to address this outbreak. © 2025 The Author(s). Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

