Cytomegalovirus

Cytomegalovirus is a virus causing the Cytomegaloviral infection – a widespread virus infection characterized by varied manifestations from symptom-free course to severe forms of the disease with affection of internal organs and central nervous system.

Ways of transmission of cytomegalovirus are different, because the virus can be in blood, saliva, milk, emiction, crap, sperm, vesical cervix secretion. Virus can be transmitted via airborne, during blood transfusion, during sexual contact and also is possible transplacental congenital infection. An important place takes infection during birth and feeding baby with milk of his diseased mother.

Only human can be the focus of the cytomegalovirus.

Under action of cytomegalovirus normal cells are increased in their size (term “cytomegaly” means “giant cell”).

Cytomegalovirus is related to herpes virus.

Cytomegalovirus has affinity to the salivary gland tissue and when localized forms virus is detected only in glands. Virus stays in the organism for all life. In reply to initial penetration the immune organism alteration is developed. If immunity is good it destroys virus without allowing it to show itself.

Factors weakening organism (diseases, some kind of medicines) can provoke the transition from dormant cytomegaloviral infection into a frank form. Last years very actual is the problem of HIV positive who get exacerbation of cytomegaloviral infection.

Pregnant women not always get fetus infected with dormant cytomegaloviral infection. The necessary condition for that is exacerbation of dormant infection with its penetration in blood with following infection of fetus. The probability of fetus infection raises when mother gets infected during her pregnancy.

Incubation period is unknown because cytomegaloviral infection bears latent form and clinical forms of disease appear after action of any weakening factor.

Cytomegalovirus manifestations:

# URI (upper respiratory infection)
# multiple affection of internal organs
# inflammation of urogenital system organs
# damage of fetation

URI

This form can be found after blood transfusion, also sexually active people can get it. Incubation period lasts from 20 to 60 days. The disease itself lasts from 2 to 6 weeks. Main symptoms are high body temperature and general intoxication symptoms. Often are noticed such symptoms as shakes, weakness, headache and pain in muscles. Also can be detected spleen increase.

Complications: interstitial or segmentary pneumonia, pleurisy, myocarditis, arthitis, encephalitis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, but they are observed quite rarely. After sharp phase during several weeks still remain weariness, tiredness, bad sleep, sometimes heart-vascular problems (sweatiness, temper, crying).

Multiple affection of internal organs

It usually takes course with difficulties. It appears on the back of other disease that sharply lowers immunogenesis (neoplasms, leukaemia). In such cases often besides prior disease and cytomegalovirus the bacterial infection is layered. Here can be noticed general intoxication, fever, liver and lymphatics glands increase. Softly coursing pneumonia is a typical sign. This form of cytomegalovirus occurs rarely.

Congenitus cytomegaloviral infection

The most dangerous is congenitus cytomegaloviral infection (especially, when mother has a weak immunity). If occurs infection of fetus as a result it can cause his antenatal death or even misburth. In later period it can cause birth defects or other diseases detected after birth (icterus, liver and spleen increase, internal haemorrhage, affection of nervous system).

Treatment

It is treated with anti-viral medication, such as acyclovir, panavir and other.

If you do not want to disease with cytomegalovirus you should make wages on your immunity and not on medicines. For that purpose you should take remedies that help increase immunity. These are nutritional supplements (immunal), herbals (ginseng, magnolia vine, coneflower and other), full nutrition (providing organism with all vitamins), regular walks on fresh air and regular exercises.