Epidemiology of cytomegalovirus infection in end stage renal disease

Since primary cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a cause of morbidity among renal transplant recipients, we undertook a prospective study of our maintenance hemodialysis patients and personnel to determine whether these sources posed a risk for transmission of CMV. Our study of 85 patients and 49 personnel showed that CMV was detected in eight nontransplanted, older dialysis patients and 13 patients who had lost their allograft. In spite of the presence of CMV on the unit, no patient or staff member developed primary infection from interpersonal transmission or from transfused frozen red blood cells. All primary infections in renal transplant patients could be accounted for by acquisition from the transplanted kidney, thus eliminating the dialysis unit or frozen blood as a risk to either patients or personnel.