Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a virus, which can be transmitted to the developing fetus before birth. The cytomegalovirus infection usually is not harmful and it rarely triggers diseases. For most of the healthy persons, which contract this virus after birth, there are several symptoms and there are not long term medical consequences. Once a person is infected, the virus is still active, but it is latent during that person's life.



There are different types of infections:

- primary cytomegalovirus

-recurring cytomegalovirus

A primary infection can cause more pregnancy problems than recurring one. Anyway, if the immune system of a person is weak, it can become active and it can cause the cytomegalovirus disease. For most of the persons, suffering from cytomegalovirus there will not be real problems.

As far as symptoms are concerned, most of the children and adults infected with cytomegalovirus do not develop any. However, some of them develop the following symptoms at an interval of 3 to 12 weeks since exposure:

- fever

- glands'inflammation

- fatigue, exhaust

To continue with, cytomegalovirus belongs to the herpes virus group and, as we have already said, it can stick to the body, under latent condition, for a long time. The infection can be carried by body fluids like urine, blood, saliva, tears and breast milk. Cytomegalovirus can exist in these liquids without the possibility to detect its signs and symptoms.

Concerning the frequency of cytomegalovirus, it can emerge in the case of 50 - 85% of the adults over the age of 40 and it is most popular in developed countries. Besides, the risk is increased in the case of the fetus in the uterus, in the case of people who work with children and in the case of people affected by HIV.

Cytomegalovirus is spread from a person to another; therefore, it does not have any connection with water, food or animals. It does not have a great spreading rate, but it has been remarked that it can be spread more rapidly in centers for children. It can be spread by close contact by the infested person, through urine, saliva, breast milk, or other body fluids.

Most of the cytomegalovirus infection cases are rarely diagnosed because the infested persons develop few symptoms. In order to detect the existence of the virus, blood tests and urine analyses are performed, apart from analysis of material taken from the throat or directly from the tissue. Laboratory tests performed in order to cultivate the virus are expensive and not all the countries in the world can afford them.

If a pregnant woman is diagnosed with cytomegalovirus, there are two possibilities to examine the fetus, in order to detect the existence of the virus at it. There are two types of blood tests. The symptoms the fetus may develop are low level of amniotic liquid, poor intrauterine growth and growth of brain tissue. When the child is born, doctors can take samples of blood, urine, and saliva.

In the case of an infection with cytomegalovirus during pregnancy, it can be treated using medication, but only if the stage of the disease is a severe one.