What is cytomegalovirus infection, new post-covid complication doctors found?

This virus exists in 80-90 per cent of the Indian population but never shows any symptoms because of the natural immunity. Congress leader Rajeev Satav died of this complication in May.

Sporadic cases of cytomegalovirus (CMV) are being reported from Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru making it the latest post-covid complication. In Delhi, six people have been diagnosed with this infection at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in a month. A similar infection has been reported from Bengaluru and Pune.

Cytomegalovirus infection is a common herpes virus infection which may or may not have symptoms. (PTI)

Here is all you need to know about this infection:

What is the infection? Cytomegalovirus infection is a common herpes virus infection which may or may not have symptoms. It is a double-stranded DNA virus which remains latent in the body. All those who have so far reported this infection have Covid not even a month before. And by the time, this infection got detected, they tested negative for Covid.

Symptoms: Patients may not have any symptoms, so it is difficult to detect the infection. It may have severe symptoms involving the eyes, brain, or other internal organs. This is not a new infection and, like most other post-covid complications, this is not exclusive to Covid. As mucormycosis is a fungal infection which may attack when the blood sugar is very high, cytomegalovirus infects when the immunity is compromised. The patient may have fever, difficulty in breathing if the infection attacks the lungs.

The infection is common among those who suffer from HIV, low CD4 counts or are cancer post-transplant patients on immunosuppressive medicines etc.

As reported by news agency PTI, doctors have said this virus exists in 80-90 per cent of the Indian population, but it never shows any symptoms due to inherent immunity. Covid, high dosage of steroids for treatment result in an immuno-compromised situation, giving this virus the opportunit

In June, Delhi's Ganga Ram Hospital reported five cases of cytomegalovirus-related rectal bleeding, one of whom died.

In May, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Satav died of the same infection as he was recovering from Covid-19. He developed fibrosis in the lungs