Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a variant of the herpes virus spread by bodily fluids such as blood, urine, or saliva. The CMV virus is common and typically harmless to most healthy people often presenting with cold-like symptoms. However, when a pregnant individual contracts CMV and passes it to her unborn child via the placenta, this is known as Congenital Cytomegalovirus (cCMV).  cCMV can result in severe, permanent birth defects, with the most common being sensorineural hearing loss.  This training module was developed to increase awareness of the infection and how to prevent the virus from spreading especially among childcare providers who are known to be at a high occupational risk for contracting CMV due to the nature of their job.

 

Click here to watch the CMV Training Module.

 

This work was supported by the AUCD and the LEND Pediatric Audiology Program made possible through a Cooperative Agreement with the Health Resources and Services Material Child Health Bureau (MCHB) grant awarded to the University of Connecticut A.J. Pappanikou Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (Grant #3T73MC30115-01-01) in consultation with Child Care Providers Education Committee from the National CMV Foundation (www.cmv.org).