CMV in the intestines can cause nausea, diarrhea, and weight loss. CMV in the brain can cause headaches and confusion. Some doctors recommend that people who have ever had a T-cell count below 50 should take a drug called oral ganciclovir to prevent CMV disease. Once a person is infected with CMV, it stays in the body. The federal government recommends that any person who has ever had CMV disease in the past should receive maintenance therapy for life to prevent the disease from flaring up again.
Drugs used for maintenance therapy include ganciclovir, foscarnet, and cidofovir.
These drugs are usually injected into a vein, and may require a catheter, a permanent tube placed in a vein. Ganciclovir may also be given as an injection into the eye, or as an eye implant that releases small amounts of the drug over time. People with low T-cell counts should have regular eye exams to detect CMV disease early. The bacteria are found in contaminated water, food, and soil. MAC disease usually only occurs in people who have less that 50 T-cells.