Congenital Cytomegalovirus—History, Current Practice, and Future Opportunities

Abstract

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) was first identified in the 1950s and noted to cause newborn disease in the 1960s. It is now known to be the most common cause of congenital infection in the world, leading to various central nervous system sequelae, the most common being hearing loss. Cytomegalovirus is a ubiquitous pathogen that affects nearly 30,000 infants annually in the United States, leading to 3,000–4,000 cases of hearing loss. Prevention through vaccination has proved unreliable, as has the use of immune globulin. Prevention through education has been shown to be the most effective method of minimizing infection. Antiviral therapy is effective at reducing the impact of infection on newborns. Continued global efforts will hopefully provide more solutions for this opportunistic infection.