Cytomegalovirus

Cytomegalovirus
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Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a virulent pathogen. This virus can affect anyone. Upon infection, the body keeps the virus alive. Many individuals do not know that they bear this virus because it is largely asymptomatic in healthy people. CMV is, however, a great concern to pregnant women and immunocompromised people. Women that acquire this virus during pregnancy can easily pass it to the baby, which can in turn exhibit certain symptoms. To people with a compromised immune system, especially those that harbor the HIV virus or those that have undergone organ transplantation, CMV virus can pose deadly consequences. This virus mainly spreads through body fluids (such as semen, blood, saliva, breast milk, and at times urine) and through contact between individuals (Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, 2017). This disease does not have any cure, just like most viruses. But, there are medications that can help treat reduce its virulence among the immunocompromised individuals and newborn babies.
CMV falls under the family of viruses such as mononucleosis, chicken pox, and herpes simplex. It normally cycles between two periods namely; dormancy and active. If an individual is healthy, then CMV is dormant. However, when activated, the virus can easily be passed on from one individual to another via fluids as highlighted above. There are five modes of transmission, which include; sexual contact, breastfeeding, organ transplantation, giving bi…