# EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CYTOMEGALOVIRUS

> **NIH NIH R01** · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · 1989 · $333,353

## Abstract

Symptomatic fetal CMV infections occur following a primary maternal
infection during pregnancy.  We have recently proven that children
attending day care centers (DCCs) rapidly transmit CMV from one to another
and then transmit the virus to their mothers.  However, the relative risk
for CMV acquisition by personnel caring for young children in DCCs and by
the mothers of these children is unknown.  Using the techniques for the
rapid analysis of CMV DNA that we have developed as an epidemiologic tool,
we will determine the precise risk to women for CMV acquisition from
infected children and study the transmission of CMV from child to child,
from children to their families, and within families.  We will study 3 DCCs
enrolling approximately 200 children.  A control group of 200 families
having children between 0 and 5 years of age not attending DDCs will also
be studied.  Each child and family member will be surveyed for CMV
infections at 2 to 3 month intervals by testing for IgG and IgM antibodies
to CMV, and by quantitative CMV viral cultures.  The DNA of each CMV
isolate will be analyzed by restriction endonucleases using both in vitro
labelling and in situ hybridization.  These two methods will be compared
for their ability to detect epidemiologically important differences.  We
will assess whether seropositive individuals become infected with exogenous
strains and transmit virus to others.  We will determine whether an
individual is most contagious during the acute or chronic stages of a
primary infection.  We will survey 400 children 5 to 10 years of age,
cohorted by classroom, for the prevalence of viral excretion and using CMV
DNA analysis determine if these children transmit CMV among themselves.  We
will thus establish if DCC attendance by children results in an increased
rate of CMV acquisition by mothers and care takers and if this is likely to
increase the incidence of symptomatic congenital infections.  If so, the
prevention of fetal CMV disease may be possible either by interrupting CMV
transmission, monitoring high risk women for CMV acquisition during
pregnancy, or by using a CMV vaccine.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3126974
- **Project number:** 5R01AI017069-10
- **Recipient organization:** VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** MLQFL4JSSAA9
- **Principal Investigator:** Stuart P Adler
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1989
- **Award amount:** $333,353
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1980-07-01 → 1991-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3126974

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3126974, EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CYTOMEGALOVIRUS (5R01AI017069-10). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3126974. Licensed CC0.

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