Review of cytomegalovirus seroprevalence and demographic characteristics associated with infection

Abstract

Cytomegalovirus establishes a lifelong latent infection following primary infection that can periodically reactivate with shedding of infectious virus. Primary infection, reactivation and reinfection during pregnancy can all lead to in utero transmission to the developing fetus. Congenital CMV infections are a major cause of permanent hearing loss and neurological impairment. In this literature review, we found that CMV infection was relatively common among women of reproductive age, with seroprevalence ranging from 45 to 100%. CMV seroprevalence tended to be highest in South America, Africa and Asia and lowest in Western Europe and United States. Within the United States, CMV seroprevalence showed substantial geographic variation as well, differing by as much as 30 percentage points between states, though differences might be explained by variation in the types of populations sampled. Worldwide, seroprevalence among non-whites tended to be 20-30 percentage points higher than that of whites (summary prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.57-1.61). Females generally had higher seroprevalences than males, although in most studies the differences were small (summary PR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.11-1.14). Persons of lower socioeconomic status were more likely to be CMV seropositive (summary PR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.32-1.35). Despite high seroprevalences in some populations, a substantial percentage of women of reproductive age are CMV seronegative and thus at risk of primary CMV infection during pregnancy. Future vaccine or educational campaigns to prevent primary infection in pregnant women may need to be tailored to suit the needs of different populations.

Cytomegalovirus infection does not impact on survival or time to first treatment in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

“…Moreover, no difference was found between age and CMV serostatus in the confirmation cohort, which suggests that a potential protective effect of CMV infection on the diagnosis of B‐CLL is unlikely. This discrepancy between the two cohorts in relation to age and CMV serostatus is likely to reflect the different geographical locations of the two cohorts, as the timing of primary exposure to CMV is known to vary dramatically depending on geographical and socio‐economic factors 27.…”

Racial differences in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation outcomes among African Americans and whites

“…African American adults have been found to have twice the prevalence of CMV infection compared with age-matched whites, 35,36 and the rate of CMV seropositivity may approach 100% in some series. 37,38 The reasons for the increased rate of CMV infections among African Americans compared with whites is not completely known, but demographic factors such as African American race, female gender and lower socioeconomic Racial differences in Allo-HCT BK Hamilton et al status have been suggested to be the markers for behaviors and environmental factors that facilitate CMV transmission, such as breast-feeding, childcare practices, sexual activity, larger family sizes or crowded living conditions.…”

Vestibular Disorders in Children With Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection

“…Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is the leading infectious cause of developmental and neurologic disabilities and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in children. [1][2][3][4][5] In France, congenital CMV infection currently affects 0.5% of all newborns. 6 Clinical signs in neonates are variable: 5% to 10% are symptomatic at birth, with a mortality rate of up to 10%.…”