How dangerous cytomegalovirus Cytomegalovirus - what is its danger?   (CMV)? Today, it is well established that it is a very common virus, which at different times ingested most of the population of our planet. Consequent infection generally goes unnoticed and rarely affects the overall health of a person. The danger CMV poses to pregnant women, newborns and immunocompromised patients.

Dangerous if the carrier cytomegalovirus

The source of infection with CMV is like a sick man, and the virus carrier that does not have any signs of infection. The virus can be transmitted by airborne droplets, contact (eg, kissing), sexually, from mother to fetus, breast milk, blood transfusion, transplantation of organs, as well as through the objects on which there are particles of saliva, urine or other biological CMV carrier liquids.

But media CMV dangerous mainly for certain groups. First of all, it is dangerous to patients with stable lowered immunity (immunodeficiency). This AIDS patients, cancer patients who have received courses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy, patients who were transplanted donor organs. In addition, the carrier CMV dangerous for pregnant women and newborns.

For all other populations of CMV carrier does not represent a significant danger.

How dangerous cytomegalovirus

Harmful if cytomegalovirus? For most people there. But it is dangerous to patients with impaired immunity - they have a high risk of generalized forms of CMV infection with severe internal organs and central nervous system. The condition of patients with generalized CMV infection can be extremely difficult because of the dysfunction of the organs affected by viruses. It CMV infection is a major cause of death of these patients. Therefore, it is not recommended to be in areas where accumulate a large number of people. Especially dangerous in this respect, children's groups, where circulating CMV is very common.

The big danger carrier CMV is also for pregnant women - the primary introduction of infection into the body is fraught with the development of intrauterine infection of the fetus, because the body has not yet developed a defense against the infection in the form of antibodies. Complications of CMV in this case can be very heavy. It was found that after being hit by CMV in the mother's body first infected placenta performs the barrier function. Then the tissue is in its reproduction of CMV, and the placenta, too, had become a reservoir of CMV, from viruses to penetrate the blood stream to the fetus.

If the infection occurred in the first trimester of pregnancy, the virus rapidly penetrates into the fruit, causing his death and the subsequent development of spontaneous abortion Miscarriage - can you protect yourself from it? . If a fetus continues to develop, it is often born with severe abnormalities, sometimes incompatible with life.

While infecting the second and early third trimester the baby develops intrauterine growth, maturation and function of the violation of internal organs. If infection occurs at a later date, the disease can occur after birth as a generalized CMV infection with multiple lesions of the internal organs and the brain. The same for the disease in the newborn child develops during infection during birth or in the neonatal period. The disease is usually very difficult with the development of numerous complications. The consequence of central nervous system can be from mild mental retardation Mental retardation - if the mind is underdeveloped   to hydrocephalus (water on the brain).

Dangerous and recurrent chronic asymptomatic CMV infection during pregnancy. Yet with intrauterine infection develops in less time and in most cases does not have the fatal nature.

Is it possible for CMV infection in pregnant women without the development of intrauterine infection? Of course, possible, in most cases, and occurs, including in pregnant women infected with CMV during pregnancy. At relapse of CMV infection during pregnancy, the percentage of intrauterine fetal losses is several times less. This is explained by the fact that women who have had a primary CMV infection before pregnancy produced specific antibodies that protect the mother and baby from infection. In the case of CMV infection it flows more easily than in the primary infection.

The risk of CMV infection for the rest of the contingents of patients

CMV infection may be asymptomatic and escalate only if the temporary decrease in immunity, such as after exposure to cold, stress How to beat stress? Create an oasis , An illness, etc. Generalized process develops very rarely and only in debilitated patients, for example, in the elderly the presence of long flowing chronic diseases.

Galina Romanenko

Cytomegalovirus men often does not manifest itself, but it does not mean that such a man can not infect their sexual partner, and this is dangerous, especially if at the same time of conception. By reducing the immunity cytomegalovirus infection in men may manifest itself in the form of long flowing respiratory disease or a lesion of urogenital organs.

Cytomegalovirus men: sources of infection

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) ingested by men as well as in the body of women in different ways: with saliva through kissing, airborne droplets coughed or sneezed into the patient through sexual contact, through the objects on which there is saliva, urine, semen , vaginal discharge Vaginal discharge: normal or disease?   or other bodily fluids of the patient. Infection is possible through blood transfusions and organ transplants Organ transplantation: Past and Present .

Once in the body men CMV in most cases is in an inactive state, that is, it does not cause disease. Symptoms of CMV infection (CMV) may arise only due to lower immunity colds, stress How to beat stress? Create an oasis , High physical and neuropsychiatric loads and so on.

Symptoms of cytomegalovirus men

CMV in men usually does not manifest itself - just for men, the most characteristic is asymptomatic CMV infection. But the infection occurs during low immunity. Most often, cytomegalovirus infection in men is manifested in the form of local (local) form. It can manifest itself in the form of long-term (a few weeks) flowing acute respiratory infection accompanied by weakness, malaise, cough, runny nose.

Another localized form of CMV infection in men is defeated urinary organs - the urethra, the testicles and their appendages. This disease can manifest itself in the form of lung disorders of urination in the form of pain and recurrent pain in the scrotum. All of these phenomena in restoring immunity can pass on their own, but if you join a viral infection bacterial (and this is very common), there may be a high fever, frequent painful urination, pus in the urine.

Very dangerous CMV infection for men with immunodeficiencies, including HIV, cancer on the background of chemotherapy and radiation therapy in organ transplantation. In these cases, may develop generalized form of cytomegalovirus with multiple lesions of the internal organs and the central nervous system.

Generalized cytomegalovirus infection in men may be accompanied by fever, severe symptoms of various organs (liver, kidney, pancreas Diabetes and pancreas - the things you need to know , Of the gastrointestinal tract, and so on) in violation of their function, severe headache, seizures, impaired consciousness, paralysis and so on. Generalized form of CMV infection is a major cause of death of patients with AIDS.

How to identify a man cytomegaly

All patients with immunodeficiencies necessarily carried out tests to detect the presence of the body and the degree of activity of CMV. In men, the immunocompetent CMV can be detected in the body accidentally. This usually occurs during the test, or couple in the planning period of pregnancy, or when symptoms of the urinary organs.

Diagnosis of cytomegalovirus - a detection of CMV by PCR in any biological fluid, crop biological fluids on culture media and blood tests for antibodies to CMV. Which tests should be conducted in each case decided by the doctor.

Treatment of CMV infection in men

CMV peculiarity is that to remove it from the human body is not possible. You can only suppress the activity of the virus and eliminate the symptoms of CMV infection. Therefore, if CMV is found in the male accidentally and it is in the inactive state (i.e., if no symptoms), no treatment occasion. But the doctor explained that the man should maintain a healthy active lifestyle, eat right, give up bad habits and all that can lead to decreased immunity.

If necessary, appointed by the bracing means and medicines, corrective immunity. Recently appointed immunologist after checking the state of immunity.

If there were signs of CMV infection, prescribe antiviral drugs, and then immunomodulators. Treatment strictly selected individually depending on the form of the disease, general condition and age of the patient. Generalized forms of CMV infections are treated only in a hospital.

Galina Romanenko