Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a leading cause of birth defects around the world, and it is a common viral infection that usually goes unnoticed or only causes mild symptoms in most people. But if a woman becomes infected with the virus while she is pregnant, she can pass the infection to her unborn baby. This can cause her child to suffer long-term disability due to birth defects, including hearing loss, or even death in very severe cases. Currently, there is no approved vaccine against the virus.

 

CMV vaccine clinical trials, like those at CNS Healthcare, can help you explore new options to protect yourself against this virus. Interested in trying a new vaccine treatment at no cost? Find out more about enrolling vaccine clinical trials available by selecting one of the below locations near you. Use the form on the page to schedule a free, in-office consultation to find out if a vaccine clinical trial is right for you.

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More About CMV:

People with the virus may pass it in bodily fluids, such as saliva, urine, blood, tears, semen, and breast milk. The virus is spread from an infected person in the following ways:

 

  • From direct contact with saliva or urine, especially from babies and young children
  • Through sexual contact
  • From breast milk to nursing infants
  • Through transplanted organs and blood transfusions

Signs & Symptoms

Over half of adults have been infected with the virus by age 40.  Once the virus is in a person’s body, it stays there for life and can reactivate. Most people infected with the virus show no signs or symptoms. In some cases, infection in healthy people can cause mild illness that may include:

 

  • Fever
  • Sore throat
  • Fatigue
  • Swollen glands

People with weakened immune systems who get CMV can have more serious symptoms affecting the eyes, lungs, liver, esophagus, stomach, and intestines.

Babies born with the virus 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.