Question

What are the risk factors associated with damage from CMV? That is, what is the cause that will cause damage during or after pregnancy?

Answer 1

Cytomegalovirus is a pathogen is a virus cause Cytomegalovirus infection. it can remain in the body for life laong and cause serious effects in the body.it is transmitted through contact of blood and body fluids of an infected person. The common damages associated with the infection are multi organ damage including , inflammation of the retina (retinitis) and vision los ,gastriontestinal problems problems like inflammation of the colon (colitis), esophagus (esophagitis) and liver (hepatitis) Nervous system problems like brain inflammation (encephalitis) .

The risk factors associated with CMV damage

• immunosuppressant patients
• people with potential retianal damage
• prior opportunistic infections
• HIV infected patients
• cancer patients
• patients recieving chemotherapy or immunosuppressant drugs
• pregnant women
• people who has history of frequent lung infections

Primary CMV infection cause serious damage than recurrent CMV during pregnancy.It can pass to the fetus in vitro and through breast milk contact with contaminated blood and genital secretions during delivery after delivery.The cause of damage of CMV to fetus is due to the impact of immune system response to the virus on the fetal organs.

Damage of CMV during pregnancy include

-congenital anomalies in fetus like microcephaly( head and brain become smaller than normal),intracranial calcifications, Hydrops fetalis( abnormal fluid accumulation in fetal organs like lung,skin, pericardium,abdomen)

-decreased amniotic fluid volume known as oligohydramnios

-Miscarriage

-enlargement of the liver and spleen, liver calcifications, hyperechogenic bowel

- small red spots on the skin

- problems with the eyes

-pleural effusion

-hearing and mental or coordination problems

-Growth retardation

Damage of CMV after pregnancy include

-Hearing loss

-Vision loss due to retrinitis

-Microcephaly and brain problems

-Seizures

-Developmental and motor delay

--low birth weight due to intrauterine growth retardation.

multiple organ damage

-hepatospenomegaly and jaundice

The causes that leads to damage due to CMV during and after pregnancy

During primary CMV infection, cytokines,excitotoxic metabolites and oxidative stress are developed due to innate immune response in maternal body and causes damage to the fetal brain cause congenital brain defects,hearing loss developmental and motor delay, microcephaly , seizures. Growth retardation will be due to placntal abnoemality caused by inflammatory injury to the placenta by infiltrates like plasma cells, macrophages, neutrophils and t cells.