Asymptomatic Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection in Newborn Population of a Public Hospital in the Northeastern Region of Argentina

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is very frequent in Northern Argentina. It involves a high risk for newborns, who may acquire the infection during the fetal period and then develop cytomegalic inclusion disease with a variable probability of progressive consequences. Although symptomatic infection is in most cases diagnosed, the situation is not the same with infected but asymptomatic newborns. OBJECTIVES: To determine the presence of CMV in a silent population of infants, considering the risk of developing sequelae due to diagnosis failure and absence of early treatment. METHODS: A total of 285 samples of asymptomatic newborns from the Neonatology Service of Perrando Hospital (Resistencia city) were studied during 2010-2012. CMV detection was performed in dry blood spot on cards by nested PCR. RESULTS: CMV DNA was detected in 14 samples, representing 5% of the total analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: The high seroprevalence of CMV infection in this region and the low socioeconomic status of the patients attending this public hospital may explain the frequency of congenital infection found in the study. PCR technique allows early diagnosis of a population of newborns at risk to develop sequelae in the near future.