[Cytomegalovirus antibody titer (indirect hemagglutination) of mothers and their newborn infants from Hamburg and Bamako].

Antibodies to cytomegalovirus (CMV) have been detected by the indirect haemagglutination test in 107 paired sera (newborn and mother) from Hamburg and 39 paired sera from Bamako (Mali). In addition, 53 unpaired sera from neonates and different mothers from Mali were evaluated for our study. In Hamburg 63,5% of both newborns and their mothers possessed CMV antibodies. The GMT values of the neonatal CMV-antibody-titres was higher than in the maternal blood (1:780 versus 1:510). In Bamako the frequency of positive reactions was evidently higher: 94,9% (maternal blood) and 82,2% (newborn cord blood). The GMT value of CMV neonates antibodies was under the level registered in their mothers sera: 1:290 and 1:450 respectively. The different socioeconomic conditions of the two groups of population studied may explain the results obtained.