Table of contents:
- Definition
- What is cytomegalovirus (CMV)?
- How common is this disease?
- Signs and symptoms
- What are the signs and symptoms of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection?
- Symptoms of the congenital cytomeglaovirus
- When to go to the doctor
- Cause
- What causes cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection?
- Diagnosis
- What tests are done to diagnose this disease?
- Treatment
- How to treat cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection?
- Antiviral drugs
- Prevention
- What ways can be done to prevent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection?
Definition
What is cytomegalovirus (CMV)?
Cytomegalovirus or CMV infection is a disease of the herpes virus that can infect people of any age. This viral infection can last a long time in the body and can even last forever.
However, CMV infection generally does not cause significant symptoms under normal immune conditions.
Conversely, people with immunosuppressants or who have weak immunity due to HIV, autoimmune diseases, undergoing organ transplant treatment or pregnant women can experience health problems due to CMV infection.
CMV can be transmitted through body fluids such as blood, urine, and saliva. There is no specific drug that can cure cytomegalovirus infection, but certain treatment methods can be used to treat the symptoms.
How common is this disease?
Everyone of all ages can be infected with this virus. Most adults become infected with CMV by the age of 4o years.
However, healthy people were infected cytomegalovirus usually do not realize because they do not experience any health problems.
Meanwhile, congenital CMV or congenital cytomegalovirus infection are also common. This is because pregnant women who are infected during pregnancy can pass the disease directly to their babies.
According to the CDC, CMV infection in newborns runs the risk of causing serious symptoms or permanent abnormalities.
Signs and symptoms
What are the signs and symptoms of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection?
If you have CMV your immune system is strong enough to fight the infection, you usually don't have any symptoms. Even if symptoms appear, the health problems experienced are usually quite mild, such as:
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Fatigue or weakness
- Muscle and joint pain
- Swollen glands
The mild symptoms experienced by healthy people are usually caused by reinfection of the CMV virus. In some cases, CMV can cause liver problems such as hepatitis or glandular fever (mononucleosis).
People with a weak immune system when infected with CMV may experience more severe symptoms. Symptoms of cytomegalovirus in conditions of weak immunity are:
- Visual disturbances
- Respiratory disorders affecting the lungs
- Indigestion that affects the esophagus and stomach
- Liver disorders
Symptoms of the congenital cytomeglaovirus
Babies who have been infected with CMV from birth are usually born in normal and healthy conditions. Some of them have symptoms that develop over time.
However, symptoms can only be detected months or years after birth. Commonly experienced congenital CMV infection disorders are developmental delays, hearing loss (deafness), and serious vision problems.
Reporting from the Mayo Clinic, signs and symptoms of congenital CMV infection in babies that need to be watched out for are:
- Premature birth
- Low birth weight
- The skin and the membranes of the eyes turn yellow
- Liver disfunction
- Skin rash or purplish patches on the skin
- The head size is smaller than normal
- Pneumonia
- Enlarged spleen
- Frequent seizures
When to go to the doctor
When experiencing or recognizing some serious symptoms of cytomegalovirus infection, you need to immediately check with a doctor.
A medical examination is highly recommended for those of you who have:
- Conditions of weak immunity due to HIV / AIDS, autoimmune, or organ transplant treatment
- Pregnant women who are infected with CMV, especially if they have mononucleosis
- Babies who have congenital CMV symptoms
Cause
What causes cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection?
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a virus related to the causes of chickenpox, monobucleosis and shingles. The nature of this viral infection can be dormant (inactive) and reactive (reactive) at any time.
In a healthy body condition (optimal immunity), infection from cytomegalovirus usually remains dormant in the body.
New symptoms will appear when the virus is actively infecting. In conditions of active viral infection, CMV can be passed on to other people.
Cytomegalovirus can be transmitted through body fluids such as blood, saliva (saliva), breast milk, tears, sperm, and vaginal fluids. The mode of transmission of CMV generally occurs when:
- Touching the inside of the eyes, nose, and mouth after being exposed to body fluids contaminated with CMV.
- Having sexual contact with an infected person.
- Babies who drink breast milk from infected breastfeeding mothers.
- Undergo medical procedures such as blood transfusions, dialysis or organ and cell transplants.
- Infected newborns from pregnant women who have CMV. Transmission to the fetus is most at risk when viral infection is active for the first time.
Diagnosis
What tests are done to diagnose this disease?
Cytomegalovirus can be difficult to detect through a regular physical exam, especially if you have only mild symptoms that are less specific and similar to other viral infections such as a cold or flu.
Therefore, doctors need to carry out a series of examinations that require taking samples of body fluids or tissues. The medical tests done to detect cytomegalovirus include:
- Blood test for signs of viral infection
- PCR test to determine the presence of the virus in throat fluid samples analyzed in the laboratory
- An antibody test to detect anti-CMV immunoglobulin G through a sample of urine, sputum (saliva)
On an antibody test, a positive CMV infection result can show several conditions such as:
- Detection of CMV antibodies indicates infection has occurred or is ongoing. If the antibody count increases within a few weeks, it means that you have been infected or have been infected before.
- Chronic CMV infection (chronic CMV antibody is stable, does not change for a long time) means that the infection can reactivate in immunodeficient patients
CMV examination is very important to do to detect viral infections during pregnancy. This is because transmission to the fetus has a higher risk than other modes of transmission.
If you contracted CMV while pregnant, it is important to get your baby tested for CMV in the first 3 weeks post-birth.
Treatment
How to treat cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection?
Treatment is not necessary in people with dormant infections or active infections that have no symptoms at all.
Mild cytomegalovirus infection symptoms usually resolve on their own in time. Performing simple treatments at home such as getting plenty of rest, getting enough fluids, and eating nutritious foods can speed up symptom recovery.
Meanwhile, people with weak immunity and infected newborns need treatment that can treat symptoms as well as relieve CMV infection. Until now, the treatment has only been effective in inhibiting the reproduction of the virus, but has not been able to completely eradicate the virus.
Antiviral drugs
Treatment is through antiviral herpes drugs such as valganciclovir or ganciclovir.
In infants who are impaired due to CMV infection, this antiviral drug has the potential to improve hearing ability and inhibit the developmental decline that CMV infection risks.
Unfortunately, valganciclovir and ganciclovir have serious side effects and have not been shown to be effective in treating congenital CMV. This antivirus is also only given to babies with congenital CMV.
Prevention
What ways can be done to prevent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection?
CMV infection is a disease that can be passed from one person to another.
In healthy people, the infection is probably harmless. However, those of you who are included in the risk group, namely having weak immunity, need to be aware of CMV transmission.
There are several ways to reduce the risk of transmitting the herpes virus so you can avoid CMV infection, namely:
- Wash your hands using soap and water or alcoholic sanitizer for 20 seconds after or before eating, after cleaning the house, after traveling or whenever you have physical contact or are close to other people.
- Do not use cutlery or other objects in common with other people
- Using a condom during sexual intercourse to avoid transmission through sperm or vaginal fluids.
- Reducing physical contact or being close to other people while pregnant.
Cytomegalovirus is common in everyone, but its effects can be dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, including pregnant women and their babies.
If you experience serious signs and symptoms of CMV infection or have other questions, consult your doctor immediately for the best solution.
