Cytomegalovirus
Cytomegalovirus; child; baby; pregnancy; infectious; diseases; CMV; mental; retardation; intellectual; disability; deaf; deafness; hearing; congenital ;
Contents
Cytomegalovirus is a common virus worldwide. Healthy children and adults usually have no illness when they are infected, but some can get an illness similar to glandular fever. It can cause some major health problems.
What is cytomegalovirus?
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a virus related to the herpes family (but it cannot cause other herpes infections). It infects only humans.
- CMV infections are very common and in healthy children and adults the infection usually causes no symptoms or mild symptoms.
- Once people are infected with CMV they are thought to remain infected for the rest of their life, even when they have not been ill. Sometimes, at times of other illnesses or stress, the virus can be re-activated, and can sometimes cause symptoms.
- People at risk of severe problems include:
- Babies who are infected before, during or shortly after birth
- People with immune problems (eg after a transplant, those with HIV/AIDS, or people having treatment for cancer).
How it is spread
- During an infection the virus can be spread in many ways, for example through coughing, through contact with blood, bowel actions (poo) or saliva.
- Young children are often infected when they suck on shared toys which have another child's saliva on them.
- CMV can be spread through blood transfusions and organ transplants.
- CMV cannot be caught from cats or other animals or birds (unlike toxoplasmosis).
How long does it take to develop?
This varies and may be between 3 and 12 weeks.
How long is it infectious?
- Healthy children and adults can have the live virus in their saliva and urine for several months.
- Babies and people with damaged immune systems can have the virus in saliva and urine for many months, or even years.
Signs and symptoms
Healthy children, young people and adults
- Most will have no symptoms at all.
- If they do become unwell, symptoms may be like glandular fever - tiredness, feeling unwell, sore throat, fever that does not go away, headaches, jaundice, loss of appetite, gut pain, swelling of liver and spleen.
- Symptoms are usually very mild but a few people are quite sick for one or two weeks.
Babies who get CMV before they are born
- Most babies exposed to CMV before birth do not have any health problems and there are no symptoms at birth.
- A few babies (less than 10%) who get CMV before birth will be infected in many parts of their body, and the effects can be slower growth in the uterus (womb), problems with the development of the brain, liver and spleen, vision and hearing problems. Congenital CMV (CMV before birth) is one cause of mental retardation and hearing loss.
- If a baby does have symptoms from CMV at birth, many will have a hearing loss, and some babies who have CMV, but have no symptoms at birth, also have a hearing loss.
Babies who get the infection after they are born
- Most will have no symptoms at all.
- Rarely there may be mild diarrhoea, cough, mild yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, or rashes.
People with immune system problems
- CMV can be a cause of serious illness in people with immune problems, especially those with HIV/AIDS. This can be due to a new infection with CMV, or re-activation of the virus from a previous infection.
- CMV may damage the lungs (pneumonitis) causing a chronic cough, damage the bowel and cause eye problems (retinitis) that can lead to blindness.
- No treatment is needed for most people who get sick with CMV
- If the person is very seriously ill with CMV, antiviral treatment (CMV immunoglobulin) may be used.
What you can do if your child has cytomegalovirus
- See a doctor if your child/young person has a temperature which lasts for several days, or complains of unusual tiredness, headaches etc.
- Offer lots of drinks.
- Any child or young person who is unwell should have plenty of rest. It is not necessary to keep children away from childcare, preschool or school unless they are unwell and in need of rest and care.
- Good handwashing, and washing of shared toys, etc. should be done all the time, not only when a child is know to be unwell.
- There is no vaccine available to prevent CMV infection.
Department of Health, South Australia - You've got what? 'Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection'
http://www.dh.sa.gov.au/pehs/ygw/cmv-pehs-sahealth-2009.pdf
National Health and Medical Research Council (2008) "The Australian Immunisation Handbook", (9th ed.), Australian Government Publishing Service.
http://www.immunise.health.gov.au
The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see a doctor, or ring the Parent Helpline on 1300 364 100 (local call cost from anywhere in South Australia).
This topic may use 'he' and 'she' in turn - please change to suit your
child's sex.