What does human cytomegalovirus cause?

Occasionally, CMV can cause mononucleosis or hepatitis (liver problem). People with weakened immune systems who get CMV can have more serious symptoms affecting the eyes, lungs, liver, esophagus, stomach, and intestines. Babies born with CMV can have brain, liver, spleen, lung, and growth problems.

What is significant about Cytomegalovirus CMV )?

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common virus. Once infected, your body retains the virus for life. Most people don’t know they have CMV because it rarely causes problems in healthy people. If you’re pregnant or if your immune system is weakened, CMV is cause for concern.

How do you interpret CMV results?

Possible Interpretation A positive CMV DNA test may mean CMV is present and you have, or the newborn tested, has an active infection. High levels of viral DNA may indicate a more severe infection with serious symptoms.

How does cytomegalovirus evade the immune system?

They effectively hide infected cells from the effector mechanisms of adaptive immunity by eliminating cellular proteins (major histocompatibility Class I and Class II molecules) from the cell surface that display viral antigens to CD8 and CD4 T lymphocytes.

Who is at risk for HCMV?

People who have frequent contact with young children may be at greater risk of CMV infection because young children are a common source of CMV. By the age of five years, one in three children has been infected with CMV, but usually does not have symptoms.

What is human CMV?

Cytomegalovirus (pronounced sy-toe-MEG-a-low-vy-rus), or CMV, is a common virus that infects people of all ages. Over half of adults have been infected with CMV by age 40. Most people infected with CMV show no signs or symptoms. When a baby is born with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, it is called congenital CMV.

Is CMV an autoimmune disease?

Human cytomegalovirus is a common herpesvirus that is linked to autoimmunity, especially in genetically predisposed persons.

Does CMV weaken your immune system?

Although most people carry CMV for life, it hardly ever makes them sick. Researchers have now unveiled long term consequences of the ongoing presence of CMV: later in life, more and more cells of the immune system concentrate on CMV, and as a result, the response against other viruses is weakened.