Cytomegalovirus infection: When and why to detect antibodies

By Ilana Heckler, PhD and Maite Sabalza, PhD

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this article, the reader will be able to:

  1. Discuss the viral family, prevalence, and transmission route of cytomegalovirus (CMV).
  2. List the vulnerable populations and complications of CMV transmission.
  3. Describe CMV testing currently used in prenatal, fetal, and newborn testing.
  4. Discuss future suggestions for the screening of newborns for CMV and its utility worldwide.

About the Authors

Ilana Heckler, PhD, is the Scientific Affairs Liaison at EUROIMMUN US. She holds a PhD in Chemical Biology for her studies on bacterial hemoprotein sensors of nitric oxide. As the Scientific Affairs Liaison, Dr. Heckler establishes scientific collaborations and assists in the validation of diagnostic assays for autoimmune and infectious diseases.

Maite Sabalza, PhD, is the Scientific Affairs Manager at EUROIMMUN US. Her academic background is in infectious diseases and diagnostics. In her role at EUROIMMUN US, she establishes relationships with key opinion leaders and supports the team with commercial activities including scientific collaborations, scientific marketing, and business development of diagnostics. 

Photo credit: Image courtesy of EUROIMMUN US

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Course Includes

  • 1 Article
  • 1 Test
  • Course Certificate
  • MLO and Northern Illinois University (NIU), DeKalb, IL, are co-sponsors in offering continuing education units (CEUs) for this issue’s CE article. CEUs or contact hours are granted by the College of Health and Human Sciences at Northern Illinois University, which has been approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® program. Continuing education credits awarded for successful completion of this test are acceptable for the ASCP Board of Registry Continuing Competence Recognition Program. Readers who pass the test successfully (scoring 70% or higher) will receive a certificate for 1 contact hour of P.A.C.E.® credit. The fee for this continuing education test is $20. This test was prepared by Amanda Voelker, MPH, MT(ASCP), MLS, Clinical Education Coordinator, School of Health Studies, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL.

    Level of Instruction: Intermediate
    Passing scores of 70 percent or higher are eligible for 1 contact hour of P.A.C.E. credit. This test is no longer valid for CEUs after June 30, 2024.

    NIU is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E. ® Program.