Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Tests
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- Also Known As:
- CMV Blood Test
- CMV IgG and IgM
- Formal Name:
- Cytomegalovirus Antibody (IgG and IgM)
- PCR
- Culture

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At a Glance
Why Get Tested?
To diagnose a current, past or reactivated cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection or if it is important to know if you ever had a CMV infection, such as prior to receiving an organ transplant
When To Get Tested?
When a pregnant woman or an immune-compromised person has flu-like symptoms that suggest a CMV infection; when a newborn has congenital abnormalities, unexplained jaundice or anemia, and/or when an infant has seizures or developmental problems that may be due to CMV; prior to receiving an organ transplant
Sample Required?
The sample required depends on the type of testing. For CMV antibody testing, a blood sample is drawn from a vein. To detect the virus itself, in patients who are symptomatic, the sample may be blood, urine, sputum, amniotic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, duodenal fluid, other body tissues, or saliva in newborns. Some samples, such as amniotic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, or body tissue (biopsy), may require a special procedure to collect.
Test Preparation Needed?
None for blood testing. If another sample is required, your health care practitioner will instruct you on how to prepare for the test.
What is being tested?
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common virus that usually causes no symptoms or only mild illness. CMV testing detects antibodies in the blood that the body produces in response to the infection or detects CMV directly.
In the United States, as many as 60% of people have been exposed to CMV at some point in their life. Almost 1 out of every 3 children have been exposed to CMV by age 5 and more than half of adults are exposed to CMV by age 40.
Most people are infected as children or as young adults, but many don’t know it because CMV usually does not cause noticeable symptoms or only mild illness in otherwise healthy people. Individuals with mild illness may have non-specific signs and symptoms, such as sore throat, fever, tiredness, and swollen glands. In otherwise healthy adults, CMV infection may sometimes cause a flu-like illness or signs and symptoms similar to mononucleosis (mono), such as extreme fatigue, fever, chills, body aches, and/or headaches that usually resolve within a few weeks.
CMV is found in many body fluids during an active infection, including saliva, urine, blood, breast milk, semen, vaginal fluid, and cerebrospinal fluid. CMV easily spreads from person to person through close contact with someone who is infected or by contact with contaminated body fluids or objects, such as diapers or toys.
Once you are infected, CMV remains in your body for the rest of your life without causing symptoms. After your initial “primary” infection resolves, CMV becomes dormant or latent, like other members of the herpes family. However, if your immune system is significantly weakened, the virus can become active again (reactivate) and cause illness.
CMV can cause notable health problems in these situations:
- A pregnant woman who is infected for the first time (primary infection) during pregnancy can pass the infection to her developing baby across the placenta. This can cause serious physical and developmental problems in the baby. Most newborns (about 90%) who are infected appear healthy at birth but may develop hearing or vision problems, pneumonia, seizures, and/or delayed mental development a few months later. A few babies may be stillborn, while others may have symptoms at birth such as jaundice, anemia, an enlarged spleen or liver, and a small head.
- CMV can cause serious illness and death in people with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS, transplant recipients, and cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. These individuals might experience the most severe symptoms and their CMV infection may remain active. CMV may reactivate in those who were previously exposed. The infection could affect the:
- Eyes, causing inflammation of the retina, which can lead to blindness
- Digestive tract, causing bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain
- Lungs, causing pneumonia with a non-productive cough and shortness of breath
- Brain, causing encephalitis
- Spleen and liver
- Organ or bone marrow transplants, causing some degree of rejection
Active CMV also further depresses the immune system, allowing other secondary infections such as fungal infections, to occur.
Common Questions
View Sources
Sources Used in Current Review
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