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עמוד בית
Wed, 04.12.24

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May 2021
Kamal Masarweh MD, Clari Felszer-Fisch MD, Eric Shinwell MD, Jamal Hasanein MD, Marina Peniakov MD, Scott A. Weiner MD, Bella Lurye-Marcu MD, Dan Miron MD

Background: The incidence of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in Israel is 0.7%. Only 10–15% are symptomatic. Valganciclovir has been shown to improve hearing and neurodevelopmental outcomes in neonates with symptomatic congenital CMV infection. Targeted examination of infants who fail routine neonatal hearing screening or have clinical or laboratory findings suggestive of symptomatic congenital CMV infection may be a cost-effective approach.

Objectives: To assess the possibility of targeted examination for the detection of newborns with symptomatic congenital CMV infection.

Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in 2014–2015 at two medical centers in northern Israel. Included were all newborns who were tested in the first 3 days of life by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for urine CMV DNA (n=692), either for failure the hearing screening (n=539, 78%), clinical or laboratory findings suggestive of symptomatic congenital CMV infection, or primary CMV infection during pregnancy (n=153, 22%).

Results: During the study period 15,433 newborns were born. The predicted rate of infection was 10–15% (symptomatic) of 0.7% of newborns, namely 0.07–0.105% or 10–15 infants. In fact, 15 infants (0.11%, 95% confidence interval 0.066–0.175) were diagnosed with symptomatic congenital CMV infection, 2/539 (0.37%) in the failed hearing group and 13/153 (8%) in the clinical/laboratory findings group. The incidence of symptomatic congenital CMV infection was within the predicted range.

Conclusions: Targeted examination of only 4.5% (n=692) of newborns detected the predicted number of infants with symptomatic congenital CMV infection in whom valganciclovir therapy is recommended

May 2010
D. Miron, Y. Horovitz, A. Luder, F.S. Ohnona and Y. Schelisinger

Background: Human parvovirus B19 is a global and common infectious pathogen in humans, primarily in children.

Objectives: To assess the immunoglobulin G seroprevalence of B19 in children in Israel.

Methods: Overall, 128 previously healthy children (1.5–17 years old) hospitalized for various diseases other than acute human parvovirus B19 infection were assessed for IgG[1] to the virus by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. 

Results: The IgG seroprevalence increased from 22% in children aged 1.5–9 years to 52% in older children (P = 0.001).

Conclusions: Our data suggest that most acute parvovirus B19 infections in Israel occur in the early school years, and that by 18 years of age 50% of Israeli children have been infected by the virus.


[1] IgG = immunoglobulin G

April 2005
Y. Schlesinger, D. Reich, A.I. Eidelman, M.S. Schimmel, J. Hassanim and D. Miron
Background: The incidence of congenital cytomegalovirus in Israel has never been determined, either in general or in relation to various population subgroups. We recently proved the utility of newborn urine polymerase chain reaction as a screening tool for congenital CMV[1].

Objectives: To define the incidence of congenital CMV infection in two different subpopulations, as a model for the entire population of Israel.

Methods: Urine specimens were randomly collected from 2,000 newborns in Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, and HaEmek Medical Center, Afula (1,000 specimens each). These hospitals have many characteristic differences, presumably representing the diverse population of Israel. Urine specimens were subjected to a CMV PCR[2] reaction and positive specimens were validated by urine viral culture. Maternal seroprevalence was determined in a representative sample of the mothers in each hospital. Epidemiologic characteristics of the mothers were extracted from hospital records and compared.

Results: The population in Shaare Zedek Medical Center was mostly Jewish (95.8%) and urban (87.0%), as compared to that of HaEmek Medical Center (49.2% and 61.0%, respectively, P < 0.01). Nevertheless, CMV seroprevalence was similar: 81.5% and 85%, respectively. Ten (1.0%) and 4 (0.4%) newborns, respectively, were found to have congenital CMV infection (not significant).

Conclusions: The combined incidence of congenital CMV infection in the study population was 0.7% (95% confidence interval 0.3–1.0%). If this rate is extrapolated to the entire population of Israel, then a total of 945 cases of congenital CMV can be expected among the 135,000 annual deliveries. A nationwide screening program for congenital CMV should be considered.

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[1] CMV = cytomegalovirus

[2] PCR = polymerase chain reaction

September 2002
Dan Miron, MD, Yoseph Merzel, MD, Amiram Lev, MD, Jean-Jack Meir, MD and Yoseph Horowitz, MD
February 2002
December 2001
Yuri Viner, MD, Dan Miron, MD, Emanuel Gottfried, MD, Dora Segal and Anthony Luder, MBBS (UK)
May 2000
Dan Miron MD, Raul Colodner MSc and Yoram Kenes PhD

Background: Two recent studies found that the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis among children in Israel was 3.4-7.4%.

Objectives: To assess the cumulative infection rate by testing immunoglobulin A and G seroprevalence for Cryptosporidium in children and adults in Israel.

Patients and Methods: The seroprevalence of IgA and IgG anti-Cryptosporidium antibodies was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay procedure in a group of 163 healthy children and adults.

Results: The overall seroprevalence rates for IgG, IgA, both IgA and IgG, and any immunoglobulin were 12.6%, 23%, 30% and 65.6% respectively. Half the children under the age of 12 years were already infected, with seroprevalence increasing to 95.6% in those over age 13 (P<0.05). Seropositivity for IgG or IgA did not significantly increase with age.

Conclusions: These results indicate that a large percentage of healthy children and adults in northern Israel have been infected with Cryptosporidium, and at early ages.

October 1999
Igor Sukhotnik MD, Bassem Kawar MD, Dan Miron MD, Dani Yardeni MD and Leonardo Siplovich MD
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