infections
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection
Introduction
Cytomegalovirus infection is a common herpesvirus infection with a wide range of symptoms: from no symptoms to fever and fatigue (resembling infectious mononucleosis) to severe symptoms involving the eyes, brain, or other internal organs. This Overview of Viral Infections is spread through sexual and nonsexual contact with body secretions. Most people have no symptoms, but some feel ill and have a fever, and people with a weakened immune system can have serious symptoms, including blindness. Cytomegalovirus can cause serious illness in infants who are infected before birth. Doctors may detect the infection by culturing a sample of infected body fluid, such as urine. Often, no treatment is required, but if the infection is severe, antiviral medications may be used. Infection with cytomegalovirus (CMV) is very common. CMV is a type of Overview of Herpesvirus Infections (herpesvirus type 5). Blood tests show that 50 to 90% of adults have had a CMV infection at some time. CMV may cause symptoms soon after infection. Also, it remains dormant (inactive) in various tissues for life. Various stimuli can reactivate the dormant CMV, resulting in virus growth which can sometimes cause disease. The lungs, gastrointestinal tract, brain, spinal cord, or eyes may be infected. Usually, CMV infection causes no symptoms. Serious infections typically develop only in Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection in Newborns and in people with a weakened 