CMV - QUANTITATIVE VIRAL LOAD BY REAL TIME PCR

Overview

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common and major cause of opportunistic infection in organ transplant recipients, causing significant morbidity and mortality. CMV infection and disease typically occur during the first year after organ transplantation after cessation of antiviral prophylaxis. Such infection usually manifests as fever, leukopenia, hepatitis, colitis, or retinitis.The risk of CMV disease is highest among organ recipients who are CMV seronegative prior to transplantation and receive allografts from CMV-seropositive donors (ie, CMV D+/R- mismatch). The infection is transmitted via latent CMV present in the transplanted organ donor and the virus subsequently reactivates, causing a primary CMV infection in the recipient. CMV disease may also occur from reactivation of the virus already present within the recipients.