Cytomegalovirus Treatment And Prevention

When the virus enters the body it remains there forever, without showing itself. Today there exists no drugs that remove cytomegalovirus from the body. Virus doesn't threaten people with strong immune system.

Cytomegalovirus cannot show himself under conditions of normally functioning anti-infectious system. On this basis, there is no need to treat healthy people who have no cytomegalovirus symptoms.

In HIV infections and other immunodeficient diseases, when cytomegalovirus causes clinically significant symptoms, are used different anti-viral medications which do inhibit virus multiplication but, unfortunately, are not able to remove virus from the body.

Before planning pregnancy each woman with cytomegalovirus should go to the gynecologist and make blood test for detecting cytomegalovirus antibodies. If in her blood were found protective antibodies called immunoglobulin, then there is no need to fear and the woman may easily plan her pregnancy.  Antiviral drugs are not used during pregnancy because of their numerous side effects.

Prevention
In many laboratories are developed vaccines against cytomegalovirus. However, there no exists in the world a registered vaccine that prevents from primary infection and appearing of congenital  cytomegalovirus infection. Vaccination with depauperated strains of  cytomegalovirus is effectively used in medical centers in the USA and Europe in people with transplanted kidneys.

As you know, cytomegalovirus is transmitted via infected body liquids, therefore it is important to practice proper hygiene that includes frequent handwashing, avoiding mouth kissing and avoiding usage of foreign dishes and objects of personal hygiene. Women who work in conditions of high risks for cytomegalovirus infection must make laboratory tests before planning their pregnancy.

Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection

 Cytomegalovirus is transmitted to fetus via placenta at any period of pregnancy equally. When infection occurs in first trimester of pregnancy, 15% of cases end with spontaneous misbirth without virus damage of fetus, i.e. infectious process is found in placenta.

There exists a hypothesis that  at the beginning placenta is infected which, however,  continues to function as a barrier in transmission of cytomegalovirus to fetus. When occurs deterioration of body barrier properties, the virus may enter blood of fetus.

90% of infected fetuses have no signs of infection. 5 – 15% of infected newborns will have cytomegalovirus after birth.  Infection of child may occur during birth when child passes through birth canal. Also this virus may be found in breast milk, therefore more than half children that are fed with breast milk may get cytomegalovirus in first year of their life.

Manifestation of congenital cytomegalovirus is caracterized with retardation in growth and development, increase of spleen and liver, haematological defections, dermatic eruptions, yellow disease and other signs of infection.

However, damage of central nervous system is most dangerous disease manifestation characterized with microcephalism, cerebral atrophy and hearing loss. In brain tissue are found calcifications that are a sign of future development of mental retardation and other neurologic disorders in infected children.

Mortality in very high (10 - 15%) in newborns who developed signs of disease. In rest of 85 – 90% of survived children may be observed neurologic deviations and  mental retardation.

Cytomegalovirus Signs And Symptoms

Most people (95 – 98%) infected with cytomegalovirus via primary infection, show no signs, though some people may complain on symptoms similar to mononucleosis.

Cytomegalovirus symptoms include fever, sore throat, muscle pains, weakness and diarrhea. Sometimes do appear enanthesis, lymph nodes increase, naso-pharyngitis, increase of liver and spleen.

Blood tests may show low amount of thrombocytes, increased amount of lymphocytes and high rate of hepatic enzymes.

Cytomegalovirus presents danger for those with low immunity: people after organ transplantation, HIV carriers and people with cancer.

In those patients infection may show in form of severe inflammation of the lungs, kidneys, retina and gastrointestinal tract organs. Typically virus damages brain tissues which leads to  encephalopathy. Cytomegalovirus may show with inflammation of genito-urinary system.

In women this variant of disease course supposes development of inflammations in female genitalia such as cervical erosion (cervicitis),  inflammations in lining of the uterus (endometritis), vagina and ovaries.

In men cytomegalovirus infection courses as a rule without symptoms or may occur orchids (inflammation of testicles). In some cases occurs inflammation of urethra (ureteritis). Thus, in case of immunodeficiency disorder exists risk for inflammatory process spreading due to weakness of immunity which cannot fight the virus.

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.

Ureaplasmosis

Ureaplasmosis is characterized with urinary tract inflammation and is caused by ureaplasmas – microorgamisms by size similar to large viruses and at the same time similar to bacteria.

Some scientists consider it a transition stage from virus to bacteria.

Ureaplasmas are opportunistic pathogens, which means they may cause the disease in particular circumstances, but normally they live on mucosa of genitals and urinary tract of a human and he experiences no symptoms at all.

Ways of transmission
Transmission of infection occurs via sexual intercourse, however, is possible transplacental infection from infected mother, and besides this, microbes may get into baby genitalia during birth and live there all his life in dormant state. Community-acquired infection is impossible. 70% people who have ureaplasmas in their body do not experience any specific sensation. Some people experience unpleasant sensations periodically – sometimes they appear and sometimes they disappear.

However, deficiency of symptoms does not mean that ureaplasmas has no harmful effects on the body. Only 10% women normally have ureaplasmas in their vagina which does not require treatment. In other cases ureaplasmosis is risk factor, and sometimes it causes severe pathology of female genitalia, pregnancy troubles and birth complications.

Ureaplasmas are found on genitalia in each third newborn girl. In boys ureaplasmas are found much rarely due to genitalia anatomy – boys genitalia are protected during passage through birth canal of mother. Frequently children infected with ureaplasmas during birth get self-recovered after some time. Most often this occurs in boys.

In people who are active sexually, the incidence of ureaplasmosis is higher which is connected with infecting during sexual intercourses. 50% of women are carriers of ureaplasmas. Among men the ratio is much lower.

Circumcision Improves Sex

Around 90% of American males are circumcised. Main reason they do it is to make it look better. Urologists have positive attitude towards circumcision and they recommend all males to do it motivating it with next reasons.

1. Cancer prevention
Circumcised males, especially in early childhood, never get diseased with penis cancer. Though this disease occurs rarely, but is treated with radical surgical methods, so in comparison with it foreskin removal looks like an absolute nothing.

2. Hygiene
Smegma (emission of sebaceous glands of penile head and foreskin), humid environment, rests of urine establish favourable conditions for bacteria development. Therefore wash penis regularly.

3. Protection against infection
After foreskin removal, urethra end mucous having no cover anymore quickly becomes callous and due to this gets less traumatized during sexual intercourse. Therefore chance to get infected, for example with HIV, reduces increasingly. Even banal muguet is hardly to get.

4. Improvement of sexual life
This is most pleasant effect of circumcision. Men who got their foreskin removed, say that sexual intercourse became longer.

However, there are two moments about which surgeons do not talk.

• sometimes surgeons cut too much penile skin together with foreskin. Then after regeneration, skin left becomes insufficient which causes penis shortening during erection. Certainly, skin will expand with the time and all this time of waiting it the man will have not his initial penis size to make boast in bed.
• urologist may leave too much skin of inner leaflet of foreskin. It looks worse than uncircumcised penis because of smooth red line around penis head like a scarf. Fortunately, this may be easily corrected by an experienced surgeon.

Sometimes circumcision leaves rough scars and suture sinus. Surgeon should put stitiches vary carefully. However, if there were suture sinus left please do not get upset – experienced surgeon will eliminate them together with rough scar.

Indication for circumcision is phimosis and foreskin injury. Phimosis may be different:

• mild phimosis when foreskin hardly relieves glans during erection but easily relieves glans in non-erected state
• severe phimosis which may result in balanoposthitis (inflammation of penis head and foreskin) or paraphimosis (entrapment by foreskin of penis glans)

These conditions are dangerous because may cause penis mortification or necrosis of its head.