Therapy - acyclovir. Infects a variety of human and animal cell types in vitro. As with some other Herpesviruses, certain parts of the CMV genome have considerable homology with cellular DNA, implying that the virus has acquired cellular genes during evolution. The complete nucleotide sequence is known and expression has been studied in detail. This is the first region to be transcribed after infection and initiates replication.
Most infections are asymptomatic.
CMV infection only occurs in people with immune defects, specifically T-cell defects, e.g. AIDS patients and immunosuppressed transplant patients. Infection produces enlargement of cells and nuclear inclusion bodies in a wide range of tissues - systemic infection. HHV-6 is now recognised as being a universal human infection. Ab titres are highest in children and decline with age. Consequences of childhood infection appear to be mild.