TORCH PANEL IgM

PERINATAL INFECTIONS ACCOUNT FOR 2-3% OF ALL CONGENITAL ANOMALIES. TORCH WHICH INCLUDES TOXOPLASMA, RUBELLA, CYTOMEGALOVIRUS & HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS, ARE SOME OF THE MOST COMMON INFECTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH CONGENITAL ANOMALIES. MOST OF THE TORCH INFECTIONS CAUSE MILD MATERNAL MORBIDITY, BUT HAVE SERIOUS FETAL CONSEQUENCES. RELIABLE RECOGNITION OF ACUTE INFECTION IS HIGHLY IMPORTANT IN PREGNANT WOMEN. IGM POSITIVE RESULT ALONE DOES NOT ACCURATELY PREDICT THE RISK OF FETAL INFECTION; A POSITIVE IGM TEST SHOULD THEREFORE BE CONSIDERED ONLY AS A STARTING POINT AND A MORE THOROUGH DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION IS NECESSARY TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE IS A RISK OF FETAL INFECTION. TOXOPLASMOSIS IS ACQUIRED BY HUMANS THROUGH INGESTION OF FOOD OR WATER CONTAMINATED WITH CAT FECES OR THROUGH EATING UNDERCOOKED MEAT CONTAINING VIABLE OOCYSTS. VERTICAL TRANSMISSION OF THE PARASITE THROUGH THE PLACENTA CAN ALSO OCCUR, LEADING TO CONGENITAL TOXOPLASMOSIS. RUBELLA IS A VIRAL EXANTHEMATOUS INFECTIOUS DISEASE CA