Cytomegalovirus Infection

Infection of a type of virus called cytomegalovirus (CMV) is often negligible for healthy people however it can impose serious problems among certain populations such as pregnant women, infants and immunocompromised patients. ^[1] Once a person catches the virus, it stays in the body lifelong. For healthy persons, it just remains dormant. ^[2]

Epidemiology

CMV is very common and infected people by and large do not know that they are infected since clinical manifestations are unusual. In the U.S., about half to 80% of the adult population are estimated to be infected. Globally, 40% are infected. ^[3]

Causes

Cytomegalovirus also termed Human Herpes virus 5 (HHV-5) is a widespread virus that belongs to the family Herpesviridae and is transmitted to other hosts through contact with body fluids like saliva, semen and breast milk. ^[1] The virus is not a concern for the majority of people. Only a minority of people develop problems when they get infected. These include individuals with low immune status such as HIV patients and people who received organ transplant and pregnant women. The threat actually is taken by the unborn baby as it is estimated that about 10% will manifest symptoms after birth. Such condition is referred to as congenital CMV. ^[3]

Signs and Symptoms

A big percentage of congenital CMV patients do not show symptoms upon birth. Some develop hearing loss during the first six months of life. If clinical manifestations are present at birth, these may include yellowing of the skin and white part of the eyes, rashes, enlarged liver, low birth weight and seizures.

In adults, symptoms may include prolonged fever, night sweats, fatigue, swollen glands, joint and muscle pain, diarrhea, shortness of breath, mouth ulcerations, seizures and behavioral changes. ^[3]

Diagnosis

After getting the patient’s medical history and performing a physical examination, the physician often requests for laboratory exams to diagnose CMV infection. These may include blood tests, cultures or polymerase chain reaction test. A pregnant woman at risk may consider amniocentesis. ^[3] 

Treatment

Most cases are not treated. Symptomatic treatment may suffice such as giving pain reliever. Patients with weakened immune system and infected newborns may be given antiviral therapy. ^[4]

References:

1.      http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cytomegalovirusinfections.html

2.      http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cmv/DS00938

3.      http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/173811.php

4.      http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Cytomegalovirus/Pages/Introduction.aspx