Question 1

is cmv (cytomegalovirus) mainly spread through young kids? can it transmit  when adults cough near me or talk to me close?

Accepted Answer

Yes,unlikely: CMV is acquired &amp; spread often in toddlers/kids. The primary routes include saliva (acute illness)and urine (for months). Exposure during diaper changes &amp; kids with poor hand washing patterns make daycare a common breeding ground. By adulthood at least half of the population is CMV positive. Saliva passage is primarily during the first active infections so adults are rarely contagious.

Question 2

at 21 weeks pregnant a 15 mo old baby coughed on me. risk of cytomegalovirus from this?

Accepted Answer

CMV: Does the 15 month old baby have CMV? If not then the risk would be extremely low.

Question 3

how long should a fever last with cytomegalovirus infection?

Accepted Answer

About 2-6 weeks.: Transmission of CMV may not even involve any symptoms, let alone fever.  If it does occur, clinical illness from cmv, which is most commonly manifested by mononucleosis in normal hosts beyond the neonatal periode, lasts 2-6 weeks, and can include prolonged high fevers, chills, malaise, and fatigue.

Question 4

how can you treat  cytomegalovirus (cmv)?

Accepted Answer

Depends: There's no cure for cmv, and treatment for the virus generally isn't necessary or recommended for healthy children and adults. But if you are immunocompromised due to HIV or treatment after organ transplantation, you may need an antiviral med, such as ganciclovir, depending on where the infection is.

Question 5

why does cytomegalovirus causes abortions?

Accepted Answer

Primary infection: If a women acquires CMV infection during pregnancy, the virus infects the fetus and causes severe injury to multiple organs and may cause fetal death.  If a woman get CMV infections, as most of us do during childhood, and becomes pregnant later, the fetus is not affected, even though the virus persists in the body of the woman for the rest of her life.

Question 6

can a fetus acquire cytomegalovirus without knowing?

Accepted Answer

They often do: If a woman never had a CMV infection prior to pregnancy, she is susceptible.Since the infection is often dismissed as a mild flu in adults, a mom may experience it during pregnancy, transmit it to the fetus & never know either had it until baby shown up with features of a congenital infection. If acquired late in pregnancy, the child may show few signs other than progressive hearing loss.

Question 7

can you tell me more about cytomegalovirus(cmv) positive?

Accepted Answer

Common: Docs can only post 400 characters in their responses i.e. too long a subject to discuss in this forum. Most people just have a short lived viral syndrome.

Here is some information from the CDC:

http://www.cdc.gov/cmv/overview.html

Question 8

i've been diagnosed with cytomegalovirus. i've been put on medication called valavir. how likely am i to pass it to my partner?

Accepted Answer

Possible but...: Given the ubiquitous nature of cmv, the chance for an adult to get symptomatic CMV infection is pretty small ( most adult are immune because of previous exposure).  If you happen to be pregnant, the possibility of transmission of the virus to the fetus is real though.

Question 9

are there people more susceptible to cytomegalovirus infections?

Accepted Answer

Immunosuppressed: Immunosuppressed individuals, e.g., aids, transplant recipients, premature newborns are more susceptible to pathogenic effects of cmv.

Question 10

can cytomegalovirus infections be transmitted to my family members?

Accepted Answer

Yes: It is transmitted most often by mouth-to-mouth kissing.  Most people have already met CMV (and thus you cannot make them sick again), and many continue to shed the organism on and off for the rest of their lives.

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Doctor answers about:

How long does cough associated with cytomegalovirus last

A member asked:

Is cmv (cytomegalovirus) mainly spread through young kids? can it transmit when adults cough near me or talk to me close?

A member asked:

At 21 weeks pregnant a 15 mo old baby coughed on me. risk of cytomegalovirus from this?

A member asked:

How long should a fever last with cytomegalovirus infection?

A member asked:

How can you treat cytomegalovirus (cmv)?

A member asked:

Why does cytomegalovirus causes abortions?

A member asked:

Can a fetus acquire cytomegalovirus without knowing?

A member asked:

Can you tell me more about cytomegalovirus(cmv) positive?

A member asked:

I've been diagnosed with cytomegalovirus. i've been put on medication called valavir. how likely am i to pass it to my partner?

A member asked:

Are there people more susceptible to cytomegalovirus infections?

A member asked:

Can cytomegalovirus infections be transmitted to my family members?

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