Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a member of the herpes family of viruses. It is relatively common throughout the adult population (up to 50%), but occurs in a higher proportion of gay men (up to 95%) and drug users (64%). Like the other herpes viruses, it is transmitted sexually in semen and vaginal secretions, through blood or saliva, through organ transplants and from mother to baby before or during birth or through breast milk.

In most people with fully functioning immune systems, initial infection with CMV may cause a mild flu-like illness, but afterwards it is kept dormant. If the immune system is damaged, as in people with advanced HIV disease, it can be reactivated. The average CD4 cell count of people at the time they develop their first episode of CMV is below 30 cells/mm3.1 Historically, over 20% of people with HIV have developed CMV disease within two years of their CD4 cell count falling below 100 cells/mm3.2

References

  1. Kupperman BD et al. Correlation between CD4+ counts and prevalence of cytomegalovirus retinitis and human immunodeficiency virus-related noninfectious retinal vasculopathy in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. American Journal of Ophthalmology 115:575-582, 1993
  2. Gallant JE et al. Incidence and natural history of cytomegalovirus disease in patients with advanced human immunodeficiency virus disease treated with zidovudine. J Infect Dis 166: 1223-1227, 1992
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