CMV IgG | Cytomegalovirus IgG antibodies

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a common viral infection in humans. Approximately 50 percent of the population is infected with this virus without knowing it. CMV infection rarely presents clinical symptoms, and if it does, they are similar to those of flu or infectious mononucleosis.

CMV infection is dangerous for pregnant women and individuals with weakened immune systems.

Once infected with CMV, it can remain in the body for a lifetime and pose no concern if the person is healthy.

CMV spreads from person to person through body fluids such as blood, saliva, urine, semen, and breast milk. A pregnant woman with a CMV infection can transmit the virus to her baby.

CMV can also spread:

• vertically, perinatally (an infected pregnant woman infects the fetus during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding);
• after prolonged or close contact with an infected person if hand hygiene or other precautions are not observed;
• through transfusion of blood from a virus carrier;
• through organ transplantation;
• during sexual intercourse.

About 1 percent of women infected before conception transmit the virus to the fetus through the uterus. The risk of transmission to the fetus is about 50 percent if the mother contracts CMV infection for the first time during pregnancy. Postnatal CMV infection is caused by the presence of the virus in cervical secretions, but a more common source of infection is breast milk. Cytomegalovirus is particularly dangerous for fetuses, newborns, cancer patients, AIDS patients, those with severe congenital immunodeficiency, patients who have received blood transfusions or organ transplants.

CMV infection diagnosis must be confirmed by laboratory tests:

• the patient shows anemia, reduced platelet count in the blood, elevated bilirubin and liver enzyme levels, decreased total protein content, and changes in its fractions;
• specific tests identify the virus itself (in throat secretions, urine, blood, bronchial washings, tissues) or specific proteins against it (in blood serum);
• if it is determined that a pregnant woman has been infected with cytomegalovirus for the first time or the infection has reactivated, fetal blood serum may also be tested.

CMV infection often needs to be differentiated from Epstein-Barr infectious mononucleosis, as well as acute retroviral syndrome from HIV, viral hepatitis, and pneumonias of other origins.

Good hygiene practices are the best prevention against CMV. Health care workers have the highest risk of infection, but precautions reduce this risk in healthcare settings. Precautions to help prevent infection:

• Wash hands frequently. Rub hands with soap for at least 15-20 seconds, especially after contact with the urine, feces, or saliva of infants and young children.
• Avoid contact with tears and saliva when kissing a crying child. Pregnant women should particularly follow these precautions.
• Avoid sharing the same glasses or other tableware. CMV can spread through shared dishes and utensils.
• Dispose of used disposable hygiene items safely. Avoid contact with body fluids when handling used disposable hygiene and nursing items, and do not touch the eyes and nasal mucosa with unwashed hands.
• Clean toys and changing tables. Wash and clean any surfaces contaminated with a child's urine or saliva.
• Practice safe sex. Use condoms during sexual intercourse.

Vaccines for specific prevention of CMV infection are being developed, and experimental vaccines have already been tested. Experimental vaccines against human cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, which poses a risk to the developing fetus, after organ transplantation, and to patients with weakened immune systems, have been found to be safer and more effective than earlier vaccines, helping to prevent the universal spread of the infection.