Symptoms

Symptoms of Cytomegalovirus

Most people infected with cytomegalovirus have no symptoms. When CMV is active, symptoms can range from feeling like you have the flu to a life-threatening illness.

For healthy individuals with an active CMV infection, symptoms may include:

  • Fever
  • Muscle aches
  • Fatigue
  • Sore throat
  • Swollen glands
  • Diarrhea

It is also occasionally associated with mononucleosis or hepatitis.

People with a weakened immune system may also experience symptoms that affect their:

  • Eyes
  • Lungs
  • Esophagus
  • Intestines
  • Liver

A transplant recipient may experience those symptoms as well as:

  • Organ damage
  • Organ failure
  • Rejection of the donated organ

For babies with congenital (present at birth) CMV, hearing loss is the most common symptom. They may also experience delayed growth, learning disabilities and problems with their:

  • Lungs
  • Liver
  • Spleen
  • Brain