Prevalence of Cytomegalovirus among Children Aged 0-6 Months in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Cytomegalovirus infection is the most common cause of congenital infections in humans and it produces considerable morbidity in newborns. There is the paucity of information on the burden of CMV DNA which is an indication of active infection among infants and their mothers in Nigeria. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of CMV DNA among infants and their mothers in Ibadan, Nigeria. Clinical, demographic information, and blood were collected from 80 consenting mothers attending three selected health facilities in Ibadan, Nigeria. Saliva was also obtained from their 82 babies once within the first six months of life. The blood and saliva samples were tested for the presence of CMV DNA by PCR while blood samples from mothers whose babies tested positive for CMV DNA were analyzed for CMV specific IgM antibodies by ELISA technique. Eleven (13.4%) of the 82 infants tested positive for CMV DNA most of which are aged 4-6 months, while CMV DNA was not detected in any of the maternal samples. None of the mothers of the CMV DNA positive infants was positive for CMV IgM antibodies. Also, none of the babies had any visible sign of congenital abnormalities. This study shows a high prevalence of cytomegalovirus infection among children aged 0 – 6 months in Ibadan, Nigeria.