Cytomegalovirus infection in a day-care center in the municipality of São Paulo.
The prevalence of antibodies against cytomegalovirus (CMV) and the incidence of CMV infection were tested in 98 children aged 5 to 36 months who attended the day-care center of a University hospital in São Paulo. At the beginning of the study the overall prevalence of anti-CMV IgG antibodies was 44% (43/98). Saliva and/or urine samples were obtained from 38 of the 43 children that were seropositive at the beginning of the study for isolation of the virus, and 52.6% of these children were found to excrete CMV in one of the two materials. Among the 37 children that were initially seronegative from whom it was possible to obtain a new blood sample 6 to 12 months later, 22 (59.5%) presented seroconversion. The rate of viral excretion through urine or saliva from the children that seroconverted was 50%. These results indicate that CMV infection is frequent and occurs early among the children who attend this day-care center. However, controlled studies using molecular epidemiology techniques are needed to define more precisely the role of day-care centers in CMV dissemination.
de Mello
A L
AL
Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
Ferreira
E C
EC
Vilas Boas
L S
LS
Pannuti
C S
CS
D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001938:Brazil; D002656:Child Day Care Centers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence
D000914:Antibodies, Viral