Cytomegalovirus: infection in pregnancy

Introduction

Cytomegalovirus is a very common genus of virus, which belongs to the large viral family of herpes viruses, just like the most famous herpes simplex viruses, the varicella virus or the Epstein-Barr virus. Responsible in people in good health of infections usually asymptomatic, with spontaneous resolution and without long-term consequences, the Cytomegalovirus could, for the reasons just mentioned, be of little interest from a medical-clinical point of view, were it not capable of :

• "Hiding" in the human bone marrow cells (example of viral latency), only to reactivate in a state of stress in which the infected person may find himself, and
• Cause serious consequences, when it infects people with an inefficient immune system (such as AIDS patients or organ transplant recipients) or pregnant women (NB: if in the first case the serious consequences directly concern the infected person, in the second case they are at the expense of the future unborn child).

Cytomegalovirus in Pregnancy

Cytomegalovirus infection in pregnancy is much feared, especially if it involves the pregnant woman for the first time in life. In pregnant women, in fact, Cytomegalovirus can infect the fetus and cause very serious damage to the latter.

When, during a pregnancy, any cytomegalovirus infection reaches the fetus, doctors describe the situation with the expression "congenital cytomegalovirus infection".