What does it mean to be CMV negative?
As with other viruses, once you have had CMV, your body will produce antibodies needed to fight the infection. Thus, if you ever had CMV, it’s likely you are “positive” for the antibodies; if you never had CMV, you are considered “CMV negative” and haven’t produced antibodies against the virus.
Does CMV shorten your life?
CMV has been associated with impaired immunity, increased morbidity due to cardiovascular diseases, and reduced lifespan and health span – the length of life spent in good health.
How often does CMV reactivate?
Estimated reactivation rates increase from low values in children to 2%-4% per year in women older than 50 years. The results advance a hypothesis in which transmission from adults after infectious reactivation is a key driver of transmission.
Can you get CMV twice?
Once CMV is in a person’s body, it stays there for life and can reactivate. A person can also be re-infected with a different strain (variety) of the virus.
How do you get rid of CMV?
There is no cure for CMV, and treatment for CMV infection is not necessary in healthy children and adults. Those at very high risk of developing severe CMV infection may be placed on antiviral medication to help prevent CMV disease.
Is CMV a rare disease?
It has been shown that one in every 200 babies born have congenital CMV. Despite this, the awareness for congenital CMV is alarmingly low. Statistics show 91% of women are unaware of CMV and its effects.
What does CMV negative mean?
“CMV negative” means you have never been infected with cytomegalovirus. For most people with healthy immune systems, infection with CMV or not is usually of little consequence, but people with damaged or immature (like newborns) immune systems are susceptible to life-threatening CMV infection. You are lucky.
How is cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection transmitted?
CMV spreads by direct contact of body fluids, such as saliva, blood, urine, semen, vaginal fluids, congenital infection, and breast milk. Thus, breastfeeding, blood transfusions, organ transplants, maternal infection, and sexual contact are possible modes of transmission.
Can blood test give false negative?
False negative results (test is negative, but you are actually pregnant) usually occur if the blood pregnancy test was performed too early (a rule of thumb is that it takes at least 7 days after conception for the test to show a positive result).