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About CMV
General Information
- Between 50% and 80% of adults in the United States are infected with CMV (cytomegalovirus) 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 (cytomegalovirus) 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 (cytomegalovirus) 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.
- There is no vaccine to prevent CMV infection; however, there are certain steps that may reduce the risk of acquiring CMV and other infections.
Related page: Learn about cytomegalovirus
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Page Last Modified:
November 3, 2008
Content source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases / Division of Viral Diseases |