Contact Information English and Spanish (800) CDC-INFO (800) 232-4636 TTY: (888) 232-6348 FAX: (770) 488-4760 International Travel Phone: 1-887-394-8747 email: cdcinfo@cdc.gov

General Information

• Between 50% and 80% of adults in the United States are infected with CMV by 40 years of age
• CMV is the most common virus transmitted to a pregnant woman's
  unborn child
• Approximately 1 in 150 children is born with congenital CMV infection
• Approximately 1 in 750 children is born with or develops permanent disabilities due to CMV
• Approximately 8,000 children each year suffer permanent disabilities caused by CMV
• Congenital CMV (meaning present at birth) is as common a cause of serious disability as Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, and neural tube defects

About the Virus

• CMV is found throughout the world in all geographic and socioeconomic groups, but, in general, it is more widespread in developing countries and in areas of lower socioeconomic conditions
• CMV is a member of the herpesvirus family, which includes the herpes simplex viruses and the viruses that cause chicken pox (varicella-zoster virus) and infectious mononucleosis (Epstein-Barr virus)
• CMV is found in body fluids, including urine, saliva (spit), breast milk, blood, tears, semen, and vaginal fluids
• Once CMV is in a person's body, it stays there for life
• Most CMV infections are "silent," meaning they cause no signs or symptoms in an infected person
• CMV can cause disease in unborn babies and in people with a weakened immune system

Transmission and Prevention (How people become infected with CMV)

• Transmission of CMV occurs from person to person, through close contact with body fluids (urine, saliva (spit), breast milk, blood, tears, semen, and vaginal fluids), but the chance of getting CMV infection from casual contact is very small.
• In the United States, about 1%-4% of uninfected mothers have primary (or first) CMV infection during a pregnancy.
• 33% of women who become infected with CMV for the first time during pregnancy pass the virus to their unborn babies.
• No actions can totally eliminate all the risks of getting CMV, but there are simple measures that can reduce spread of the disease. To learn how to prevent CMV, click here to view our CMV brochure ( PDF, 315KB).