Cmv virus symptoms treatment

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.

People with CMV may pass the virus in body fluids, such as saliva, urine, blood, tears, semen, and breast milk. CMV is spread from an infected person in the following ways:. Blood tests can be used to diagnose CMV infection in adults who have symptoms. However, blood is not the best fluid to test newborns with suspected CMV infection. Tests of saliva or urine are preferred for newborns. Healthy people who are infected with CMV usually do not require medical treatment.

Medications are available to treat CMV infection in people who have weakened immune systems and babies with signs of congenital CMV.

For babies with signs of congenital CMV infection at birth, antiviral medications, primarily valganciclovir, may improve hearing and developmental outcomes. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic.

Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Bennett JE, et al. Cytomegalovirus CMV. Elsevier; Accessed Jan. Goldman L, et al. In: Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Cytomegalovirus CMV infection. Merck Manual Professional Version. Kliegman RM, et al. In: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. Kimberlin DW, et al. Cytomegalovirus infection. In: Red Book Online.

American Academy of Pediatrics; If you know you were infected with CMV during your pregnancy, tell your baby's doctor. The doctor will likely assess your baby for hearing or vision problems. CMV is related to the viruses that cause chickenpox, herpes simplex and mononucleosis. CMV may cycle through periods when it lies dormant and then reactivates. If you're healthy, CMV mainly stays dormant. When the virus is active in your body, you can pass the virus to other people. The virus is spread through body fluids — including blood, urine, saliva, breast milk, tears, semen and vaginal fluids.

Casual contact doesn't transmit CMV. CMV is a widespread and common virus that can infect almost anyone. Complications of CMV infection vary, depending on your overall health and when you were infected. Rarely, CMV causes a healthy adult to develop mononucleosis. Other rare complications for healthy adults include problems with the digestive system, liver, brain and nervous system. An infant whose mother first became infected with CMV during pregnancy is more likely to experience complications.

Complications for the baby can include:. Careful hygiene is the best prevention against CMV. You can take these precautions:.

If you have weakened immunity, you may benefit from taking antiviral medication to prevent CMV disease. Experimental vaccines are being tested for women of childbearing age. These vaccines may be useful in preventing CMV infection in mothers and infants, and reducing the chance that babies born to women who are infected while pregnant will develop disabilities.

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