Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
Disclaimer: This fact/info sheet is for education purposes only.
Please
consult with your doctor or other health professional to make sure
this
information is right for your child.
What is cytomegalovirus (CMV)?
Cytomegalovirus is a virus. The name means "big cell" virus. It is
related to the
glandular fever virus, EBV, and is a member of the family of herpes
viruses. Other
herpes viruses are herpes simplex (which causes cold sores),
varicella-zoster
(causes chickenpox and shingles), EBV, and the virus which causes
roseola (a
measles-like rash).
All herpes viruses can be hidden in the body for years after first
causing an
infection. They may then come back again later. For example, the
chickenpox
virus first causes chickenpox, but may come back years later and
cause shingles.
What does CMV cause?
In children and adults CMV infection may cause:
a cold or a respiratory illness with cough and fever
an illness with rash and fever, or
a glandular fever-like illness with big glands and fever.
All these illnesses are fairly mild. The only people to get severe
CMV infection
are some babies born with the virus and people who don't have good
immunity,
such as people with cancer or with AIDS.
How do you catch CMV?
Mostly CMV is caught by being coughed on by someone with CMV
(respiratory
droplets). However, CMV can be grown from the urine of infected
children, so it
could be caught by contact with wet nappies. CMV can cross the
placenta so
babies can be born with congenital CMV infection. Other ways of
catching
infection are less common. People who work as carers in child care
centres are
particularly at risk of catching CMV infection, but most hospital
staff are no more
likely than anyone else to be infected.
What is congenital CMV infection?
A baby with congenital CMV infection is one who is born with the
infection. The
mother may have had her first ever infection (her primary infection)
with CMV
during the pregnancy or she may have had CMV in the past and it came
back for
no known reason.
Can CMV infection be prevented?
The best way to avoid catching CMV infection is by washing your hands
before
and after handling other people's babies and older children. There is
no vaccine
against CMV yet.
How severe is congenital CMV infection?
Most babies with congenital CMV infection are born perfectly normal
and never
have any problems. About one-in-ten infected children will develop
deafness,
usually while they are a toddler at preschool age. A small proportion
of babies
with congenital CMV infection are born with a purple rash, big liver
and spleen,
and a small head. These babies usually have long-term problems such
as delay in
their development, convulsions, deafness and poor vision. Some drugs
are
effective in treating CMV, but they have not been shown to cure the
effects of
congenital CMV infection.
Who can I talk to if I am worried about CMV?
Pregnant women may be scared of catching CMV or having a baby with
congenital CMV. The issues concerned and the blood tests are quite
complicated. Talk to your family doctor and ask for a referral to a
specialist in
infectious diseases.
Remember
Hand washing before and after handling other people’s babies and
children is the best way to avoid catching CMV infection.
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