• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Acute cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

CMV Mononucleosis; Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

Treatment:

Most patients recover within 4 to 6 weeks without medication. Rest is needed, sometimes for a month or longer to regain full activity levels. Relief of symptoms is provided with pain killers and warm salt water gargles for sore throat.

Anti-viral medications are usually not used in those with normal immune function.

Expectations (prognosis):

Fever usually goes away in 10 days, and swollen lymph glands and spleen return to normal in 4 weeks. Fatigue may linger for 2 to 3 months.

Complications:

Secondary throat infection is the most common complication. Rare complications include:

• Colitis
• Pneumonia
• Pericarditis or myocarditis
• Guillain-Barré syndrome
• Rupture of spleen
• Neurologic complications

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if symptoms of acute CMV infection develop.

Go to the emergency room or call the local emergency number (such as 911) if sharp, sudden pain in left upper abdomen occurs. This could indicate a ruptured spleen, which requires emergency surgery.

• Review Date: 9/18/2006
• Reviewed By: Hilary M. Babcock, M.D., Medical Director of Occupational Infection Control, Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children's Hospitals; Instructor of Medicine, Infectious Disease Division, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.