Recognition, treatment, and sequelae of congenital cytomegalovirus in Australia: An observational study

Australian national surveillance data was used to assess recognition, sequelae, and antiviral therapy for congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) cases.

Data from congenital CMV cases reported through the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit born January 1999 to December 2016 were described and Chi-square tests used to characterise trends and associations in case reporting, maternal CMV serology testing, and antiviral therapy. Descriptive analyses for hearing loss and developmental delay were reported for cases born ≥2004, following introduction of universal neonatal hearing screening.

There were 302 congenital CMV cases (214 symptomatic, 88 asymptomatic). Congenital CMV was suspected in 70.6% by 30 days of age, with no differences across birth cohorts. Maternal CMV serology testing was associated with maternal illness during pregnancy but not birth cohort. There was increasing antiviral use for symptomatic cases, being used in 14% born 1999-2004, 19.6% born 2005-2010, and 44.4% born 2011-2016 (p < 0.001). For those born ≥2004, hearing loss was reported in 42.1% of symptomatic and 26.6% of asymptomatic cases; while developmental delay was reported in 16.9% of symptomatic and 1.3% of asymptomatic cases.

There appears to be under-reporting and under-recognition of congenital CMV despite increasing use of antiviral therapy. Universal newborn CMV screening should be considered to facilitate follow-up of affected children and targeted linkage into hearing and developmental services, and to provide population-level infant CMV epidemiology to support research and evaluation of antiviral and adjunctive therapies.