A Herpes Virus Infection with CMV , a virus in the herpes family, occurs throughout life. By age 50, about 50 percent of the general population has been exposed to this virus, yet most people do not become ill. After the original infection, the virus may lie dormant and reactivate itself if the immune system becomes suppressed. For people with HIV infection, CMV is one of the most frequent and serious OIs they face. CMV retinitis, an infection of the light-sensitive inner layer of the eye, is the most common CMV infection and leads to blindness if left untreated.
Infections also occur in the gastrointestinal tract, lungs, brain, heart and other organs.
Both intravenous ganciclovir and foscarnet currently are approved for treatment of CMV retinitis. Life-long maintenance on either treatment is required because the drugs do not kill CMV , they merely slow down its ability to grow. Even with therapy, the rate of relapse is high. Usually, it affects people in advanced stages of HIV disease, when the immune system is severely suppressed. From there, it can spread to the lungs, liver, spleen, lymph nodes, bone marrow, intestines and blood.