Infections that can cause miscarriage

There is no bacterial or viral infection that is a proven cause of miscarriage. There are, however, a number of infections that have been linked to miscarriage, including:^{1, 2}

• Listeria monocytogenes, commonly found in soil, dust, water, sewage, unpasteurized cheeses (such as Brie, mozzarella, queso fresco, and blue cheese), and uncooked vegetables.
• Toxoplasma gondii.
• Rubella.
• Herpes simplex.
• Measles viruses.
• Cytomegalovirus.
• Coxsackie viruses, which can cause a range of infections, including hand-foot-and-mouth disease, upper respiratory infection, and meningitis. Only a small minority of Coxsackie viruses cause any symptoms or complications.

Citations

1. Speroff L, Fritz MA (2005). Recurrent early pregnancy loss. In Clinical Gynecologic Endocrinology and Infertility, 7th ed., pp. 1069–1101. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

2. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2001, reaffirmed 2005). Management of recurrent early pregnancy loss. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 24. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 97(2): 1–12.