CYTOMEGALOVIRUS (CMV) plays a significant role in stillbirths and childhood deaths in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), according to the results of a new study. Conducted across seven LMICs, the research was part of the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) network and analyzed data from over 5,800 deaths among children under five, including stillbirths. Using post-mortem minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS), the study found CMV in 19.5% of these cases, with a notable increase in detection among young and older infants.
The study’s findings highlighted that CMV was implicated in the causal pathway to death in 0.9% of stillbirths, 0.8% of neonates, and 13.1% of young infants. Among older infants and children, the impact remained significant, with 9.7% and 3.3% of deaths attributed to CMV, respectively.
Further analysis showed that children with CMV disease were more likely to have severe microcephaly (38.2% vs. 21.1%) and be HIV-infected (36.9% vs. 6.2%). These associations suggest that CMV disease is often linked to more severe health outcomes in vulnerable populations.
The study emphasizes the need for targeted interventions to reduce CMV-related morbidity and mortality. Healthcare strategies that integrate CMV management, particularly in HIV-infected children, and the development of CMV vaccines are critical to tackling these issues in LMICs.
Reference: Velaphi S et al. Investigating the role of cytomegalovirus as a cause of stillbirths and child deaths in low and middle-income countries through postmortem minimally invasive tissue sampling. Clin Infect Dis. 202;ciaf098.
Anaya Malik | AMJ
