CMV
Definition
Noun: 1. Cytomegalovirus: Any of a group of herpes viruses that can cause cells, particularly epithelial cells, to enlarge. This virus is a common infection but can cause serious health problems, including birth defects if contracted during pregnancy, and can severely affect individuals with weakened immune systems.
Usage
- CMV is primarily used as a medical and scientific term. It is most commonly encountered in healthcare, virology, and public health contexts.
- It is almost always used as an initialism (where each letter is pronounced: "C-M-V") rather than an acronym pronounced as a word.
- It functions as a countable noun (e.g., , , ).
Examples
- General Context:
- Pregnant women are often screened for CMV.
- The patient developed a CMV infection after the transplant.
- Scientific/Medical Context:
- The study focused on the reactivation of latent CMV in the host.
- Antiviral drugs are used to treat CMV retinitis.
Advanced Usage
- "Congenital CMV": Refers to a cytomegalovirus infection that is present at birth, having been passed from mother to baby during pregnancy. This is a major cause of sensorineural hearing loss and neurodevelopmental disabilities in children.
- Congenital CMV is the most common viral cause of birth defects.
- "CMV Serostatus": A term used in medicine, particularly transplant medicine, to describe whether a person has antibodies against CMV in their blood, indicating a past infection.
- The donor's and recipient's CMV serostatus must be matched carefully to prevent complications.
Variants and Related Words
- Cytomegalovirus (n): The full, formal name for CMV. This term is used interchangeably with the initialism, often in more formal writing.
- Cytomegalovirus is a member of the Herpesviridae family.
- CMV-positive / CMV-negative (adj): Describing a person's serostatus regarding the virus.
- A CMV-negative recipient should ideally receive an organ from a CMV-negative donor.
Synonyms
- Human herpesvirus 5 (HHV-5): The formal taxonomic name for the specific virus that causes human cytomegalovirus infection. This is a more precise scientific synonym.
Important Notes
CMV is not a word with general, non-specialist meanings, idioms, or phrasal verbs. Its usage is confined to technical and medical fields. For the general public, it is most commonly encountered in patient education materials or public health advisories.
Noun
-
any of a group of herpes viruses that enlarge epithelial cells and can cause birth defects; can affect humans with impaired immunological systems
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