CYTOMEGALOVIRUS

(CMV) any of several viruses in the herpes family (Herpesviridae), frequently involved in human infection. The virus is so named for the enlarged cells produced by active infections; these cells are characterized by the inclusion of foreign matter, especially in the nucleus. Cytomegalovirus, which is transmitted by sexual contact or exposure to infected body fluids, is not highly contagious and rarely causes serious illness in otherwise healthy adults, occasionally producing mononucleosis-like symptoms. In infants and immune-compromised adults, however, it has serious, permanent consequences. Its distribution is worldwide, but it is especially prevalent in crowded communities with low standards of living. Cytomegalovirus is the most common congenital infection of newborn infants, who acquire the virus either in the uterus or during birth. Symptomatic infections in 10 percent of congenital cases cause jaundice, fever, and enlargement of the spleen and liver. Whether symptomatic or not, CMV infections are a major cause of congenital deafness and have other long-range neurological consequences, including retardation and blindness. Infections in adults with compromised immune systems can cause an opportunistic, severe pneumonia and inflammation of the retina leading to blindness; because these individuals have no natural defenses against the spread of the virus, such infections may be life-threatening. At present there is no effective treatment for CMV infection. In otherwise healthy adults, CMV infections are self-limiting and require no treatment.