Article

Epidemiology, pathogenesis and prevention of congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.
Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy (impact factor: 3.28). 01/2005; 2(6):881-94. pp.881-94
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Cytomegalovirus is the most common cause of congenital infection. Congenital cytomegalovirus infection can follow both primary and recurrent maternal infections. It is associated with a significant burden of disease and death. The determinants of mother-to-child transmission and the pathogenesis of symptomatic fetal infection remain poorly understood. For a long time, congenital cytomegalovirus infection has been a neglected disease. Recently, the Institute of Medicine has recognized that the development of a vaccine against congenital cytomegalovirus infection is a public health priority, which should stimulate research in this area. The development of antiviral therapies to prevent symptoms in infected newborns also represents an important area of research.

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    Article: Risk factors for and clinical outcome of congenital cytomegalovirus infection in a peri-urban West-African birth cohort.
    Marianne A B van der Sande, Steve Kaye, David J C Miles, Pauline Waight, David J Jeffries, Olubukola O Ojuola, Melba Palmero, Margaret Pinder, Jamila Ismaili, Katie L Flanagan, Akum A Aveika, Akram Zaman, Sarah Rowland-Jones, Samuel J McConkey, Hilton C Whittle, Arnaud Marchant
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    ABSTRACT: Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the most prevalent congenital infection worldwide. Epidemiology and clinical outcomes are known to vary with socio-economic background, but few data are available from developing countries, where the overall burden of infectious diseases is frequently high. As part of an ongoing birth cohort study in The Gambia among term infants, urine samples were collected at birth and tested by PCR for the presence of CMV DNA. Risk factors for transmission and clinical outcome were assessed, including placental malaria infection. Babies were followed up at home monthly for morbidity and anthropometry, and at one year of age a clinical evaluation was performed. The prevalence of congenital CMV infection was 5.4% (40/741). A higher prevalence of hepatomegaly was the only significant clinical difference at birth. Congenitally infected children were more often first born babies (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 5.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0-13.7), more frequently born in crowded compounds (adjusted OR 2.9, 95%CI 1.0-8.3) and active placental malaria was more prevalent (adjusted OR 2.9, 95%CI 1.0-8.4). These associations were corrected for maternal age, bed net use and season of birth. During the first year of follow up, mothers of congenitally infected children reported more health complaints for their child. In this study, the prevalence of congenital CMV among healthy neonates was much higher than previously reported in industrialised countries, and was associated with active placental malaria infection. There were no obvious clinical implications during the first year of life. The effect of early life CMV on the developing infant in the Gambia could be mitigated by environmental factors, such as the high burden of other infections.
    PLoS ONE 02/2007; 2(6):e492. · 4.09 Impact Factor
Data provided are for informational purposes only. Although carefully collected, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The impact factor represents a rough estimation of the journal's impact factor and does not reflect the actual current impact factor. Publisher conditions are provided by RoMEO. Differing provisions from the publisher's actual policy or licence agreement may be applicable.

Keywords

antiviral therapies
 
common cause
 
congenital cytomegalovirus infection
 
Cytomegalovirus
 
determinants
 
neglected disease
 
newborns
 
public health priority
 
recurrent maternal infections
 
significant burden
 
stimulate research
 
symptomatic fetal infection