Herpesvirus
About Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a herpesvirus and the most common viral infection passed to babies before birth. Once infected, a person carries the virus for life; it usually stays dormant and rarely causes problems unless the immune system is weakened.
CMV spreads through close contact with body fluids — saliva, blood, urine, semen, cervical secretions and breast milk — and through transplants and transfusions. It spreads easily in households and day-care settings, so hand washing matters.
Symptoms
- Usually no symptoms in healthy adults
- In newborns: jaundice, rash or purple skin spots
- Low birth weight and an enlarged spleen
- Later hearing or vision loss in some infected babies
- Serious illness in people with weakened immune systems
Test Options
- CMV/EBV/HHV6 Panel — detects and differentiates these three herpesviruses