The Virus
The cytomegalovirus (CMV) belongs to the Herpesviridae’s family (which includes even herpesvirus 1 and 2, the varicella zoster virus and the infective mononucleosis virus, the Epstein-barr virus). Once the virus is contracted, it stays for the rest of the life in the organisms.
Clinical manifestations
CMV’s infections normally evolve in an asymptomatic way, but they can have serious consequences in immune-depressed patients.
Indeed, in patients who had an organ or a spinal cord transplant, a CMV’s infection could be an elevated cause of mortality. In people afflicted with AIDS, the CMV represents the second most frequent infection, while in HIV-positive people the CMV seems to be involved in the progression to the AIDS.
Congenital infections are in about the 1% of every birth, while the 30-40% of pregnant women who make a serum-conversion transmit the virus to the fetus with serious or less serious consequences (ex.: intrauterine death, mental retardation and deafness). Serious clinical manifestations of CMV’s infections include retinitis, gastritis, hepatitis, encephalitis and pneumonia.
Epidemiology
The CMV can infect a relevant world population’s portion in every the geographic areas and in every socioeconomic groups. In Switzerland about the 60% of adults was infected from CMV (this average grows up to the 80- 90% in Africa or in the Latin America).
The CMV is in every biological liquids, urine, saliva, mother milk, blood, tears, vaginal fluids and sperm included.
Test
The amplification by means of PCR of a fragment of the region UL83 allows to have a rapid and specific diagnostic of the CMV in clinical materials.
Sample taking
Liquors, biopsy, urine, Blood-EDTA, plasma, Broncho alveolar secret.
