Cytomegalovirus Ways of Transmission

Cytomegalovirus disease belongs to “civilization diseases” that were spread worldwide in the past decades. Cytomegalovirus was described in the end of XIX century for the first time and it was considered that the infection is transmitted via saliva. The pathogen was discovered in 1956 by Margaret Gladys Smith.

External appearance of cytomegalovirus is similar to herpes viruses which cause genital virus and lip sore. Cell affected by cytomegalovirus has a large size and contains typical large inclusion bodies. Due to this specific look the disease was called cytomegalovirus (from the Greek cyto-, "cell", and -megalo-, "large").

In 1956 first was proved that cytomegalovirus disease is transmitted not only via saliva but also during sexual intercourse, during pregnancy from mother to baby. Also are known cases when people get infected with cytomegalovirus during blood transfusion and organ transplantation.

Cytomegalovirus disease is very common, however, many virus carriers are unsuspicious of its existence in their body. First of all, it is related to cases when virus not shows any clinical sysmptoms. Often cytomegalovirus lives in human body whole his life without showing itself and without having negative effects over the body.

Sometimes cytomegalovirus shows with symptoms of an ordinary cold and in this case people diseased with it may transmit the virus to other people via close contacts with them.

Most adults and significant number of children are infected with this virus. Cytomegalovirus is most common in developing countries where living standards are low, and poor social and hygienical conditions make the virus spread more quickly.