Cytomegalovirus infection in day nurseries
Related Experiment Videos
Insights
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) was screened in day nursery children and teachers. While some transmission occurred, most CMV strains suggest infections originate outside the nursery setting.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common virus with potential health implications, especially in young children.
- Day nurseries are environments where young children congregate, raising questions about potential pathogen transmission.
- Understanding CMV transmission dynamics in childcare settings is crucial for infection control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and transmission patterns of cytomegalovirus (CMV) in a day nursery population.
- To determine if day nurseries serve as a significant source of CMV infection for children and teachers.
- To assess the risk of CMV infection among nursery teachers compared to the general population.
Main Methods:
- Screening of 117 children and 41 teachers in day nurseries for CMV viruria over one year.
- Isolation and characterization of CMV strains using restriction endonuclease typing.
- Serological testing of teachers and comparison with a matched control group of 500 individuals.
Main Results:
- CMV viruria was detected in 27% of children and 5% of teachers.
- Most CMV isolates from children were genetically distinct, suggesting diverse origins.
- CMV strains from teachers showed limited overlap with those from children, and teachers' serological status was similar to controls.
Conclusions:
- While some CMV transmission may occur within day nurseries, the data suggest that most infections are acquired from external sources.
- Day nursery teachers do not appear to have an elevated risk of past CMV infection compared to the general population.
- Further research into extra-curricular transmission routes of CMV in young children is warranted.
Abstract:
One hundred and seventeen children and 41 teachers in day nurseries were screened for cytomegalovirus (CMV) viruria over a period of one year. Thirty two (27%) children and two (5%) teachers were found to be excreting virus on at least one occasion. Restriction endonuclease typing showed that virus strains isolated from the children were dissimilar, with the exception of those from sibling pairs and one unrelated pair. The virus isolate from one teacher matched those from two unrelated children, while the isolate from another teacher could not be distinguished from that from a sibling pair. The CMV serological state of the 41 teachers was not significantly different from 500 matched controls and no seroconversions occurred. It is concluded that although transmission of CMV among children and teachers may occur in day nurseries, the dissimilarity of most of the virus strains indicates that infection predominantly occurs outside. Furthermore, teachers in day nurseries showed no evidence of an increased risk of past CMV infection when compared with matched controls.