Definition:
Cytomegalovirus is a disease infecting cells and causing them to be enlarged. Individuals are typically infected when they're two years old or through teenage years. A lot of people become infected with CMV and do not even realize they have it. The disease doesn't cause chronic problems, but they do cause troubles in newborns if their mothers become infected during pregnancy.
Diagnosis:
The virus can be cultured through special lab tests, but tests require two to three weeks and are also expensive. There are blood tests that help diagnose the infection or identify if an individual has been exposed to the virus previously.
Treatment:
No particular cure or treatment for the infection has been found. However, anti-virus medications will be helpful in the treatment of CMV in individuals with the HIV infection.
Symptoms and Signs:
Generally, this disease may not show symptoms, or if any, only mild ones. Some people may have symptoms alike to mononucleosis, such as headache, fever, tiredness, and sore throat. Individuals with a weak immune system, like those with HIV, may suffer severe symptoms.
Causes:
Cytomegalovirus is a viral genus from a group of herpesviruses, and is in itself a cause for a condition. It causes the Cytomegalic Inclusion Body Disease or CIBD. An initial infection of this virus may not cause symptoms, but it continues to survive in the body unnoticeably without obvious illness or damage.
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