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Virus link to premature births, pregnancy risks: New Zealand research

Xinhua, August 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

New Zealand researchers said Wednesday that they had made a breakthrough in identifying the cause of some premature and fatal births.

The University of Otago scientists said they had found that human papilloma virus (HPV) could infect the placenta, causing pregnancy complications, including the potentially fatal pre- eclampsia disorder.

The researchers found that HPV had infected three quarters of 339 placentas studied.

They found that overall, having an infected placenta meant delivery occurred about one week earlier than expected, and in a quarter of cases, this meant a premature delivery.

Ten percent of infected placentas also developed another infection of the membranes called acute chorioamnionitis.

Study lead author Dr Noelyn Hung said that not every infected placenta would have problems, and it depended on the pattern of infection, which was likely influenced by the mother's immune system.

The team also found that 78 percent of the HPV-positive placentas were infected with "high risk" types of the virus, known to cause cervical and other cancers, Hung said in a statement.

All 20 women in the study who had pre-eclampsia a dangerous disorder that involves maternal high blood pressure and organ damage were found to be infected with high-risk HPV types.

"While further investigation is required into this link, our study provides additional evidence to support HPV vaccination. If pre-eclampsia, which is estimated to affect around 5 percent of deliveries, is indeed caused or compounded by HPV, then vaccination becomes an important pregnancy protection measure," she said. Endi