CMV pneumonitis epidemiology and demographics

Overview

 * Except in newborns, CMV infection is only characteristically clinically relevant in immunocompromised individuals, particularly AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) patients (CD4 <50-100) and transplant patients.
 * Approximately 40% of the U.S. have been infected.
 * Transmission is through secretions, either via sexual contact, mother-infant transmission, or prolonged close personal contact.
 * CMV is a member of the herpes family, and once a patient is infected, the virus persists and can become reactivated under immunocompromising circumstances. Sites of latency include monocytes and PMNs (polymorphonuclear leukocytes).