EBV and CMV DNAemia across surgical, nephrological and neurological cohorts

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) are common herpesviruses implicated in various diseases. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of EBV and CMV DNAemia across diverse medical conditions, including neurological disorders.

This study comprised a retrospective cohort including 2463 patients with various medical conditions screened for either CMV (n = 2090) or EBV (n = 373) using quantitative PCR (qPCR) between 2020 and 2024. Additionally, it also included prospective cohort of 119 patients with diverse neurological disorders who were screened for CMV and EBV by qPCR. Data was analyzed to assess EBV and CMV DNAemia and associations with demographic and clinical factors.

EBV DNAemia was detected in 57/373 patients (15.3 %), significantly associated with age (p = 0.032) and clinical category (p < 0.001). Highest positivity was observed in surgical patients (46.9 %) and children <12 years (31.6 %). Viral loads were predominantly low to moderate, with high-level DNAemia in 28.1 % of cases. CMV DNAemia was found in 239/2090 patients (11.4 %), clustered by clinical category (p < 0.001), with highest absolute numbers among "Other" (55.2 %) and nephrology patients (30.5 %). Low-level CMV DNAemia predominated (70 %), high-level replication was rare (4.5 %), and age or sex were not significant predictors. In the neurological cohort, EBV or CMV was detected in 7/119 cases (5.9 %), all low-level, with no significant associations with age, sex, or diagnosis.

EBV and CMV infections were infrequent but showed selective distribution in certain clinical subgroups, particularly paediatric, surgical, and nephrology patients. Limited evidence of EBV/CMV involvement was observed in specific neurological disorders.