Over 30,000 children are born annually with CMV and nearly a quarter of those develop permanent disabilities.
Cytomegalovirus is the number one non-genetic cause of sensorineural hearing loss in children!
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common virus of the herpes family that infects people of all ages. It is usually “asymptomatic”, or does not show symptoms. However, CMV is one of the few viruses that can pass through the placenta. Once infected, the virus can cause damage to the brain, eyes and/or inner ears of the fetus.
- Almost half of women already contracted CMV before they first become pregnant.
- 4% of women who have never had CMV will contract it while pregnant.
- Women who acquire the disease during pregnancy are more likely to pass the disease to their fetus verses a woman who becomes re-infected with the disease.
- 50-75% of CMV infections occur in infants born by mothers where the virus had reactivated/re-infected.
- 50-80% of the world population (or 6 out of 7 people) carry the dormant virus.
- 90% of healthy adults will be infected by the time they are 80 years old.
Presently there are no vaccines for CMV.
Griffiths, P., Baraniak, I., & Reeves, M. (2015). The pathogenesis of human cytomegalovirus. Journal of Pathology, 235(2), 288–297. http://doi.org/10.1002/path.4437
McVicar, S. B. (2016). Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Public Health Initiative. Retrieved from http://www.health.utah.gov/cshcn/programs/cmv.html
CDC. (2010). Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Congenital CMV Infection: Prevention. Retrieved January 1, 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/cmv/prevention.html
Idaho CMV Advocacy Project 