Pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapeutics in human cytomegalovirus infection

Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Laboratório de Biologia Molecular. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil.Federal University of Pará. Department of Tropical Medicine Nucleus. Belém, PA, Brazil.Cytomegalovirus is a beta-herpes virus that causes various severe conditions, particularly when associated with reduced immune response of the host. The infection may be symptomatic, with clinical features similar to infectious mononucleosis; however, in most cases, cytomegalovirus infection progresses in an asymptomatic or subclinical manner. Elucidation of the mechanisms of infection could contribute to the control of the disease and the development of novel therapeutics, particularly in patients with a deficient immune response because the virus usually does not cause serious injury and is not life threatening in immunocompetent patients. In this article, we will review some aspects of the pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapeutic resources for the treatment of cytomegalovirus infection