In the United States, nearly one in three children are already infected with CMV by age five. Over half of adults have been infected with CMV by age 40.
Cytomegalovirus
General Information
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common virus for people of all ages; however, a healthy person’s immune system usually keeps the virus from causing illness.
Once CMV is in a person’s body, it stays there for life and can reactivate. A person can also be re-infected with a different strain of the virus.
Currently, there is no vaccine available to prevent congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV).
Transmission
People with CMV may pass the virus in body fluids, such as saliva, urine, blood, tears, semen, and breast milk.
Congenital CMV is due to transplacental virus transmission from mother to fœtus.
Symptoms
Most people with CMV infection have no symptoms and aren’t aware that they have been infected.
People with weakened immune systems who get CMV can have more serious symptoms affecting the eyes, lungs, liver, esophagus, stomach, and intestines.
Babies born with CMV can have brain, liver, spleen, lung, and growth problems. 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.
Epidemiology
CMV infects ~60% of adults in developed countries and more than 90% in developing countries.
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