{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T14:57:02Z","timestamp":1790607422336,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,19]],"date-time":"2026-09-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789776000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":18,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,1]],"date-time":"2026-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788220800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Public Health Challenges"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      Congenital infections caused by\n                      <jats:italic>Toxoplasma gondii<\/jats:italic>\n                      , rubella virus, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex virus (TORCH) infections remain an important but under\u2010documented contributor to adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes in low\u2010 and middle\u2010income countries, including Bhutan.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of TORCH infections among children and women in Bhutan's national referral hospital.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A retrospective cross\u2010sectional review of TORCH antibody test records was conducted at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital for tests carried out between January 2019 and December 2022. The study included all children &lt;18 years and adult women. Serological testing used rapid immunochromatographic assays (OnSite TORCH Panel) to detect immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies, and data were analyzed descriptively with subgroup comparisons by age.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      A total of 624 participants were included, comprising 359 children (&lt;18 years) and 265 adult females. Among children, 202 (56.9%) were male, and 153 (43.1%) were female. Seropositivity for TORCH infections varied across age groups, with the highest IgG and IgM positivity observed in neonates and infants and a subsequent rise in the reproductive age group. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) showed the highest overall seropositivity (83.8%), followed by cytomegalovirus (CMV) (82.7%), rubella (65.7%), whereas\n                      <jats:italic>T. gondii<\/jats:italic>\n                      had the lowest (14.7%). CMV had the highest IgM (4.8%) and combined IgG\/IgM positivity (4.3%).\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>TORCH seropositivity varied across age groups, with HSV and CMV being the most frequently detected infections and IgG antibodies predominating. These findings provide the first baseline TORCH seroprevalence data in Bhutan, which can serve as a reference for future maternal and child health programs.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1002\/puh2.70367","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,20]],"date-time":"2026-09-20T05:09:47Z","timestamp":1789880987000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Seroprevalence of\n                    <i>Toxoplasma gondii<\/i>\n                    , Rubella Virus, Cytomegalovirus, and Herpes Simplex Virus Among Children and Women in Bhutan's National Referral Hospital: A Cross\u2010Sectional Study"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"5","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8790-1829","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karma","family":"Norbu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Services Ministry of Health  Thimphu Bhutan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-0759-8007","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sonam Wangzin","family":"Rabjay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Emergency Medicine Eastern Regional Referral Hospital  Mongar Bhutan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0292-4920","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karma","family":"Galey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Services Ministry of Health  Thimphu Bhutan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4932-8704","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thinley","family":"Dorji","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine Central Regional Referral Hospital  Gelephu Bhutan"},{"name":"Faculty of Postgraduate Medicine Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences of Bhutan  Thimphu Bhutan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-7333-8072","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ugyen","family":"Chophel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of General Practice Wangdue Hospital  Wangdue Phodrang Bhutan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-1496-3981","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jamyang","family":"Wangmo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital  Thimphu Bhutan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-3666-636X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Binita","family":"Rai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital  Thimphu Bhutan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7324-3028","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yeshey","family":"Dorjey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Eastern Regional Referral Hospital  Mongar Bhutan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5122-1482","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tshokey","family":"Tshokey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital  Thimphu Bhutan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_14_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3345\/kjp.2018.61.4.114"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms11020257"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3928\/19382359\u201020230908\u201001"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s40556\u2010019\u201000232\u20108"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/J.EJOGRB.2019.04.042"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/eurheartj\/ehaf564"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_8_1","unstructured":"H.Shargorodsky Fetal Infection During Pregnancy. 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