A common virus that usually stays silent but matters in pregnancy. Explore its illustrative 3D model, human context, and sources.
CDC describes cytomegalovirus as a common virus that infects people of all ages and, once present, stays in the body for life and can reactivate. A healthy person's immune system usually keeps it from causing illness. Its documented importance is for babies infected before birth and for people with weakened immune systems.
CDC states that most people with CMV have no signs or symptoms, that about 1 in 200 babies is born with congenital CMV infection and about 1 in 5 of those babies will have birth defects or other long-term health problems, and that CMV is the most common infectious cause of birth defects in the United States. People with weakened immunity can have more serious illness. This tag names documented complications, not an individual prediction.
Human cytomegalovirus · enveloped herpesvirus particle. The roomy tegument and off-centre capsid are diagrammatic; dense bodies are not shown. The colours, proportions, protein shapes and visible counts are illustrative, not measured or an atomic reconstruction. Independent scientific review remains pending.
Source check: 2026-09-19. Educational content; independent scientific review remains pending.