CMV can be found in blood, urine, saliva, respiratory secretions, tears, feces, breast milk, semen and cervical secretions. CMV has the ability to establish a latent infection in the host after recovery from acute infection. CMV is ubiquitous in humans. Around the world the mean seropositivity rate varies with location, race, socioeconomic status. The manifestations may vary with age and immunocompetence of the host.
Asymptomatic infections are the most common in healthy adults.
In young adults, CMV infections can cause an infectious mononucleosis like syndrome with fever, lymphadenopathy and relative lymphocytosis. In CMV induced syndrome the symptoms may be more systemic, with fever predominating, and signs of enlarged lymph nodes or splenomegaly may be reduced. CMV is the most common cause of infection following solid organ or bone marrow transplantation. Mild liver function abnormalities are common, but severe hepatitis or jaundice is rare. Direct visualization of viral inclusion bodies.