ABOUT VIRUSCongenital AbnormalitiesCommon virus that affects people of all ages. One in three children in the US are infected with CMV by the age of five. Over half of adults over the age of 40 are infected. CMV is permanent and can reactivate as well as be infected by a different strain. Immune system in healthy people typically prevent the virus from causing disease. Can cause serious health issues with people who have weakened immune systems. One out of every 200 babies are infected with congenital CMV and 1 in 5 are sick from the virus. In pregnant women CMV can kill the baby (pregnancy loss).
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Reproduce
Viruses only reproduce within a host cell. CMV is a lytic virus which means it reproduces in this way. Once a virus enters the host, it releases DNA and the capsid proteins. Enzymes replicate the viral genome and other enzymes in the host cell transcribe the viral genome into viral mRNA, which is used to make more capsid proteins. After this, they assemble into new virus particles, which leaves the cell in the hopes of infecting other host cells.
Attack
The immune system seems to be unable to protect against reinfection, which is a major problem for the design and development of working vaccines. The condition is often not deadly for healthy patients, but can be dangerous for people with a compromised immune system. It can also cause major problems for women that pregnant leading to congenital diseases like childhood deafness and neurological disorders.
Cycle
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), is a major cause of birth defects and opportunistic infections in HIV-1/AIDS patients, and an array of virus-host protein interactions occurs throughout the infection.
Transmission
People with CMV may pass the virus through body fluids (saliva, urine, blood, tears, semen, and breast milk). Transmission of virus can be through sexual contact, breast milk, transplanted organs, blood transfusions, and from direct contact from saliva or urine typically from babies and young children. Women can pass CMV to their baby during pregnancy. That usually happens when the virus reactivates or gets infected by a new strain.
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Symptoms, Treatment, And Prevention
Symptoms: Most people do not show signs or symptoms. Fever, sore throat, swollen glands, fatigue; can cause mononucleosis and hepatitis. Hearing loss is a common problem. Babies infected with CMV have liver and brain issues as well as growth problems. More serious issues are symptoms affecting the eyes, liver, esophagus, stomach, and the intestines. During pregnancy CMV can cause premature birth, small size at birth, small head at birth, seizures, and liver, spleen, and lung problems. Long term effects of infants born with CMV are hearing loss, small head size, vision loss, intellectual disability, seizures, lack of coordination, and weakness or problems using muscles. Hearing loss may be present at birth or develop over time.
Treatment: Healthy people with CMV do not need medical treatment. Medications are available to treat infected people who have weak immune systems and for babies. Antivirals are given to infants born with CMV to lower the risk of health problems and hearing loss. Use of antivirals for infants who do not show symptoms of CMV at birth is not recommended. Regular check ups even if signs are shown or not. Prevention: Women trying to get pregnant should get screened for CMV. Women who are pregnant, trying to be pregnant, or might be pregnant who work with young children must practice CMV precautions (regular hand washing especially coming in contact with body fluids of young children). Vaccines are still under research and development. |
Citations
https://www.cdc.gov/cmv/overview.html
https://www.nationalcmv.org/cmv-prevention.aspx
https://www.cdc.gov/cmv/clinical/features.html
research/collaborators: Kayln Hatchett, Courtney Harris, and Nadin Younes
https://www.nationalcmv.org/cmv-prevention.aspx
https://www.cdc.gov/cmv/clinical/features.html
research/collaborators: Kayln Hatchett, Courtney Harris, and Nadin Younes