Cytomegaly: Information & Cytomegaly Specialists

According to estimates, the cytomegalovirus is detectable in about 50 percent of the population in Europe. In developing countries, more than 90 percent of people carry the virus.

A cytomegalovirus infection often goes unnoticed in otherwise healthy individuals. It causes no symptoms or only nonspecific symptoms such as a mild fever and swollen lymph nodes. Cytomegalovirus therefore poses a risk primarily to

• immunocompromised or elderly individuals and
• unborn or newborn infants

.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) causes cytomegalovirus infection. It belongs to the herpesvirus family and remains in the body for life after an initial infection. In an infected person, the virus is present in nearly all bodily fluids, particularly

• in semen,
• blood,
• saliva, and
• urine.

One of the main routes of transmission for the cytomegalovirus is unprotected sexual intercourse. However, infection can also occur through

• droplet transmission,
• contact,
• blood transfusion, or
• organ transplantation

. Infected pregnant women can also pass CMV to their unborn child through the placenta. Childbirth itself is also a possible route of transmission from an infected woman to her child.

After infection with CMV, it takes about two to twelve weeks for the first symptoms to appear. More precise details regarding the incubation period of cytomegalovirus infection are not yet known.

In people with a healthy immune system, the initial infection with the cytomegalovirus usually proceeds without any symptoms at all. If symptoms do occur, they are mostly nonspecific complaints such as

• fatigue,
• fever, and
• swollen lymph nodes.

Those affected often mistake these signs for a flu-like illness.

Because cytomegalovirus infection often presents with few symptoms, it frequently goes undetected for a long time. As a result, those affected may unknowingly transmit the cytomegalovirus to others.

Symptoms in People with Weakened Immune Systems

Cytomegalovirus infection poses a far greater risk to people with weakened immune systems. These include, among others,

• people living with HIV or older adults,
• people who have had an organ transplant, or
• patients suffering from cancer.

In these immunocompromised individuals, the cytomegalovirus can lead to life-threatening illnesses.

The organs that can be affected by cytomegalovirus infection include, among others,

• the liver,
• the lungs,
• the eyes, and
• the gastrointestinal tract.

This can lead to, among other things,

• hepatitis,
• pneumonia,
• eye infections,
• vision problems, and
• stomach and intestinal ulcers.

Other possible symptoms of cytomegalovirus infection in immunocompromised individuals include

• encephalitis,
• blood clotting disorders,
• impaired sense of smell and taste,
• muscle pain,
• fever, and
• diarrhea.

Cytomegalovirus Infection in Pregnant Women

If a pregnant woman becomes infected with cytomegalovirus, it can lead to a miscarriage.

Infection of the unborn child in the womb also has serious consequences. In 20 percent of cases, birth defects and medical conditions may develop that can lead to severe and lifelong disabilities in the child.

Possible consequences of such a prenatal cytomegalovirus infection include, among others,

• speech disorders,
• visual impairments,
• early-childhood brain damage,
• meningitis,
• inner-ear hearing loss,
• deafness,
• epileptic seizures,
• hepatitis,
• pneumonia,
• anemia,
• jaundice, and
• hydrocephalus.

The situation is different for newborns who become infected during or after birth. They usually do not exhibit severe symptoms.

Cytomegalovirus infection is associated with numerous nonspecific symptoms. These can point to a wide variety of diseases. Therefore, the doctor should perform a process of differential diagnosis. In doing so, the doctor gradually rules out all diseases with similar symptoms. In the end, only an infection with the cytomegalovirus remains as a possible cause.

The doctor can then confirm the diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infection by directly detecting the pathogen. To do this, the doctor collects blood, tissue, or urine samples from the patient and tests them for the cytomegalovirus. A diagnosis of cytomegalovirus infection is considered confirmed if the doctor can detect CMV in bodily secretions and tissue samples.

In addition, it is also possible to test the blood for antibodies against the cytomegalovirus. However, the presence of antibodies in the blood does not clarify whether the infection is acute or occurred some time ago.

If an infection of the unborn child is suspected, amniocentesis can confirm the suspicion.

For infected individuals who have no or very few symptoms, treatment for cytomegalovirus is generally not necessary. However, the cytomegalovirus remains in the body for life. Therefore, it is possible for cytomegalovirus to recur later if the immune system is weakened. In that case, treatment will be necessary after all.

In people with a weakened immune system, cytomegalovirus is treated with antiviral medications. These medications inhibit the replication of the cytomegalovirus within the body’s cells.

Medications used for this purpose include those containing the active ingredients

• valganciclovir,
• cidofovir,
• foscarnet, and
• ganciclovir.

In addition, the symptoms caused by cytomegalovirus also require treatment.

Infected pregnant women are treated with what is known as CMV immunoglobulin. This is a medication containing specific antibodies against the cytomegalovirus.

A complete cure for cytomegalovirus is not possible, as the causative viruses, like all herpes viruses, remain in the body for life. After an initial infection with the cytomegalovirus, it is therefore possible to become ill again and again.

The prognosis and course of cytomegalovirus infection depend on how well the patient’s immune system is functioning. Otherwise healthy individuals with a functioning immune system generally do not experience severe symptoms.

In individuals with a weakened immune system at the time of the initial infection, cytomegalovirus can affect multiple organs simultaneously. This can result in a severe and sometimes fatal course of the disease.

There is currently no preventive vaccine against the virus that causes cytomegalovirus infection.