CMV Vaccine - Herpes

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CMV Vaccine - Herpes

Up to 80 percent of American adults become infected with up cytomegalovirus by age 40. Infection with CMV during pregnancy can cause serious harm to a fetus. Researchers are testing a CMV vaccine in girls 12 to 17 to prevent infection in a future pregnancy.

Cytomegalovirus Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a virus that is a member of the herpes family. It’s acquired through close non-sexual contact and sexual activity. It can also be spread through tears, saliva, breastfeeding, blood transfusions and organ transplantation. Most people don’t have any signs of infection. However, the virus remains in the body forever and may periodically reactivate.

CMV is very common. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates up to 80 percent of American adults become infected by 40. While the virus typically doesn’t cause any problems for the average, healthy person, infection during pregnancy can cause very serious problems for the fetus.

Babies with congenital CMV may be born small, have an overly large or small head. Other signs include jaundice, problems with their liver or spleen, purple blotches on the skin and/or lung problems. More serious permanent consequences of CMV for the baby include: hearing loss, vision loss, seizures, mental retardation, coordination problems or death. Sometimes the symptoms or complications of CMV don’t appear until several years after birth.

Researchers say CMV is a major cause of birth defects and childhood disability in the U.S. Annually, about one in 150 babies is born with CMV. About one in 150 children have a permanent disability from the infection.

Vaccine Hope Researchers are testing a vaccine to reduce the incidence of congenital CMV infection. Study participants are girls 12 to 17. , M.D., Vaccine Specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, says it’s important to target females before they become sexually active, so their bodies develop some immunity before pregnancy.

Each of the participants will receive a series of three doses of the vaccine or a placebo. The second dose is given at one month and the third at six months. The girls will provide blood and urine samples so investigators can see how they respond to the vaccine. In addition, the participants are asked to keep a diary recording their temperature and side effects developed during the study. Girls who are sexually active are also asked to use birth control during the study.

The vaccine study is taking place at five sites and is expected to run to July 2010. Some of the girls will be asked to participate in a follow-up study (at two sites) that will examine how long the body makes antibodies to CMV and if their immune systems are able to remember and fight the virus over time.

AUDIENCE INQUIRYFor information about the vaccine study, go to http://www.clinicaltrials.gov, then type the trial identification number in the search box: NCT00133497. The trial identification number for the second study (cell-mediated immunity) is NCT00815165.

For information about cytomegalovirus: American Pregnancy Association, http://www.americanpregnancy.org Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov/cmv/index.htm March of Dimes, http://www.marchofdimes.com

http://www.wtvq.com/health/2246-cmv-vaccine-