Cytomegaly virus cmv

The most common long-term health problem in babies born with congenital CMV infection is hearing loss, which may be detected soon after birth or may develop later in childhood. People with CMV may pass the virus in body fluids, such as saliva, urine, blood, tears, semen, and breast milk. CMV is spread from an infected person in the following ways:. Blood tests can be used to diagnose CMV infection in adults who have symptoms. However, blood is not the best fluid to test newborns with suspected CMV infection.

Tests of saliva or urine are preferred for newborns. Healthy people who are infected with CMV usually do not require medical treatment. Medications are available to treat CMV infection in people who have weakened immune systems and babies with signs of congenital CMV.

For babies with signs of congenital CMV infection at birth, antiviral medications, primarily valganciclovir, may improve hearing and developmental outcomes. Valganciclovir can have serious side effects and has only been studied in babies with signs of congenital CMV infection. A vaccine that stimulates strong antibody response against these antigens is expected to prevent CMV infection, and women protected from CMV infection by a vaccine would be protected from having a child with congenital CMV infection.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Progress toward development of a vaccine against congenital cytomegalovirus infection. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology. American Pregnancy Association. Skip to main content. Cytomegalovirus CMV.

It is a member of the herpesvirus family. Other members of the herpesvirus family cause chickenpox, infectious mononucleosis, fever blisters herpes simplex type I and genital herpes herpes simplex type II. Like other herpesviruses, CMV infection can become dormant for a while and may reactivate later. The virus is carried by people and is not associated with food, water or animals.

Anyone can become infected with CMV. Almost all people have been exposed to CMV by the time they reach adulthood. Although the virus is not highly communicable, it can be spread from person to person by direct contact. The virus is shed in the urine, saliva, semen and to a lesser extent in other body fluids. Transmission can also occur from an infected mother to her fetus or newborn and by blood transfusion and organ transplants. Most children and adults who are infected with CMV do not develop symptoms.

Those who develop symptoms may experience an illness resembling infectious mononucleosis and have fever, swollen glands and feel tired. Approximately 8 out of every 1, babies born in the United States will have CMV infection, of which 1 to 2 may have significant illness involving nervous system damage or developmental disabilities.

Although most people never develop symptoms after exposure, the incubation period appears to be between 3 and 12 weeks. CMV remains in the body throughout a lifetime. Infected people may occasionally shed the virus in urine or saliva. Several studies have found that from three to 11 percent of normal adults and up to 50 percent of healthy children shed the virus in either urine or saliva.