Study Shows CMV Reactivation Linked to Longer Hospital Stays -- by Lisa Hayden Espenschade

  

CMV – cytomegalovirus – is so common the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate 50-80 percent of U.S. adults carry it by age 40. Few show symptoms. CMV can, however, reactivate in patients with normal immune function during intensive care unit (ICU) stays, according to a paper published in the July 23-30, 2008, JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

 

Researchers from University of Washington and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, led by Ajit Limaye, associate professor of medicine and laboratory science at UW, studied CMV in 120 CMV-seropositive ICU patients, looking for incidences of reactivation during a 30-day period. Around 30 percent showed active CMV infection, and researchers found correlations between reactivation and longer hospital and ICU stays, and death.

 

Patients with normal immune systems are seldom tested for CMV during hospitalization. The paper’s conclusions suggest “a controlled trial of CMV prophylaxis in this setting is warranted.” Further research may investigate whether antivirals can reduce CMV reactivation and/or hospital stays. Ganciclovir and valganciclovir are used in immunocompromised CMV patients, according to the CDC.

 

Typical CMV symptoms among healthy individuals include fever, sore throat, fatigue, and swollen glands, says the CDC, so they may be attributed to other factors. Primary infections in immunocompromised patients can cause death, pneumonia, or gastrointestinal disease. Congenital CMV infection may cause temporary symptoms including liver and lung problems, permanent symptoms like hearing or vision loss, and even death.

 

Although CDC notes that CMV is not highly contagious, it may spread in households or day care centers. Sexual contact, body fluids, organ transplants, and blood transfusions can transmit CMV. Washing hands with soap and water removes the virus.

 

Lisa Hayden Espenschade is a freelance writer based in Scarborough Maine who has written on genomics, gene therapy, stem cells, and other drug discovery topics, as well as other biotechnology issues.

 

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