Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

In a 1990 report of a study of 120 burn patients, most with skin grafts, 44% had serologic evidence of prior CMV infection and 23 (52%) of these had four-fold or greater rises in CMV antibody titers. Some had CMV reactivation and some had new CMV infections. Among 43 seronegative patients observed for at least 65 days after discharge from the center, eight (18.6%) seroconverted at a median of 90 days (30-291 days) post-discharge. Four of these 8 received skin from CMV positive donors but no blood transfusion or other likely source of CMV. Two had received skin and blood transfusions from CMV-positive donors and 2 received blood transfusions only. CMV clinical disease was not seen in any of these patients.