[Cytomegalovirus--routes of transmission and their clinical significance].

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common cause of congenital and perinatal infections throughout the world. High prevalence of CMV infection is associated mainly with universal breast feeding practices rather than with crowding or poverty. Perinatal CMV infection usually follows a benign course in immunocompetent individuals, but the virus remains latent or persistent in the host cell thereafter. Understanding the epidemiology of CMV is a key element in the development of strategies for prevention and treatment of infection. Entirely new approaches to prevention and treatment of CMV infections in infants are necessary, including antiviral interventions and the development of a vaccine strategy.