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Signs and Symptoms of CMV
Most healthy children and adults infected with CMV have no symptoms and may not even know that they have been infected. Others may develop a mild illness. Symptoms may include fever, sore throat, fatigue, and swollen glands. But these are also symptoms of other illnesses, so most people don't know it when they get CMV.
Most babies born with CMV (in other words congenital CMV) never develop symptoms or disabilities. When babies do have symptoms, some can go away but others can be permanent.
Examples of symptoms or disabilities caused by congenital CMV:
| Temporary Symptoms |
Permanent Symptoms or Disabilities |
- Liver problems
- Spleen problems
- Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes)
- Purple skin splotches
- Lung problems
- Small size at birth
- Seizures
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- Hearing loss
- Vision loss
- Mental disability
- Small head
- Lack of coordination
- Seizures
- Death
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In some children, symptoms do not appear until months or years after birth. The most common of these late-occurring symptoms are hearing loss and vision loss. Children with congenital CMV are more likely to have permanent disabilities and symptoms that get worse if they had symptoms of CMV infection at birth. But, some children who appear healthy at birth can develop hearing or vision loss over time due to congenital CMV. For this reason, if you know your baby was born with CMV, it is important to have his or her hearing and vision tested regularly.
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