There are several methods of detecting a cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection:

Antibody testing
Two types of CMV antibodies may be found in the blood: IgM and IgG. IgM antibodies are the first to be produced by the body in response to a CMV infection. They are present in most individuals within a week or two after the initial exposure. IgM antibody production rises for a short time period and declines. Eventually, after several months, the level of CMV IgM antibody usually falls below detectible levels. Additional IgM are produced when latent CMV is reactivated. IgG antibodies are produced by the body several weeks after the initial CMV infection to provide long-term protection. Levels of IgG rise during the active infection, then stabilize as the CMV infection resolves and the virus becomes inactive. Once a person has been exposed to CMV, they will have some measurable amount of CMV IgG antibody in their blood for the rest of their life. CMV IgG antibody testing can be used, along with IgM testing, to help confirm the presence of a recent or previous CMV infection.

CMV antibody testing may be performed to determine immunity to CMV in pregnant women, in patients prior to organ or bone marrow transplantation, and in a person diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Since CMV infection is widespread and causes few problems to those with intact immune systems, general population screening is rarely done.

IgM and IgG antibody testing and viral CMV detection may be used to help diagnose primary CMV infection in young adults, pregnant women, and some immune-compromised patients with flu- or mononucleosis-like symptoms. By comparing the absence or presence of both IgG and IgM in the same sample, the doctor can distinguish between primary, latent, and reactivated CMV in symptomatic patients.

Viral detection
Viral detection involves finding CMV in a blood, fluid, or tissue sample. This can be done either by culturing the virus in a supportive environment or by detecting the virus’s genetic material (CMV DNA).

Viral culture is the traditional method of virus detection. It involves inoculating a culture/tube of human cells with the patient’s sample and incubating the culture in a supportive environment. Positive cultures can often be detected in as little as 1 to 2 days, but negatives must be held for 3 weeks to confirm the absence of CMV because the virus may be present in very low numbers in the original sample and/or the CMV strain may be slow-growing.

Other methods may be used to detect and measure the amount of viral DNA in a patient’s sample. Testing can be qualitative, determining the presence or absence of CMV, or quantitative, measuring the amount of virus present.

The choice of tests and body samples collected depends on the age of the patient, their general health status and symptoms, and on the doctor’s clinical findings and suspicions of organ involvement. For instance, a newborn’s urine may be cultured to detect CMV virus, while a pregnant woman may have IgG and IgM blood testing to identify the presence of antibodies and to distinguish between a current primary infection and a previous infection. A second IgG test on a new blood sample ordered 2 to 3 weeks after the initial test (called a convalescent sample) is performed to determine whether antibody levels are rising/falling, indicating an recent CMV infection.

Immune-compromised patients with active CMV may be monitored using a variety of CMV tests. Often doctors want a quantifiable viral test to be able to track the amount of virus present (viral load). They can use a quantitative test to monitor the patient’s response to antiviral therapy.

CMV tests may be ordered, along with tests for influenza, mononucleosis (mono), and EBV (Epstein Barr virus), when a young adult, a pregnant female, or an immune-compromised patient has flu- or mono-like symptoms such as fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and fever. They may be performed when your doctor suspects that you may have an active primary CMV infection or a CMV reactivation.

CMV tests may be ordered when you are immune-compromised and have inflammation of the lungs, eyes, liver, spleen, and/or gastrointestinal tract and when your doctor suspects that you may have active CMV. One or more CMV tests may be ordered when your doctor is monitoring the effectiveness of antiviral therapy.

CMV testing may be done on a newborn with jaundice, anemia, an enlarged spleen and/or liver, and a small head; or on an infant with hearing and vision problems, pneumonia, seizures, and/or signs of delayed mental development.

When you are a candidate for an organ or bone marrow transplant, CMV IgG and IgM antibody testing may be ordered as a screening test to determine if you have been exposed to CMV in the past.

Care must be taken when interpreting the results of CMV testing. The doctor evaluates the results in conjunction with clinical findings. It can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between a latent and active CMV infection. This is due to several reasons, including:

A healthy patient who has been infected with CMV at one time will continue to harbor the virus. The CMV can reactivate intermittently, often sub-clinically, shedding small amounts of virus into body fluids but not causing symptoms.

An infant and immune-compromised person may not have a strong antibody response to the CMV infection – their IgM and IgG levels may be lower than expected even though they have an active case of CMV.

The virus may not be present in sufficient number in the particular fluid or tissue tested to able to be detected.

Antibody testing
If both CMV IgG and IgM are present in a symptomatic patient, then it is likely that he or she has either recently been exposed to CMV for the first time or that a previous CMV infection has been reactivated. This can be confirmed by measuring IgG levels again 2 or 3 weeks later. A high level of IgG is not as important as a rising level. If there is a 4-fold increase in IgG between the first and second sample, then the patient has an active CMV infection (primary or reactivated).

If only IgM is present, then the patient may have very recently been infected. If a newborn has IgM antibodies, then they have a congenital CMV infection. If a patient is symptomatic but has low or undetectable levels of IgG and/or IgM, it may mean that they either have a condition other than CMV or that their immune system is not responding normally – not producing an adequate amount of antibody even if CMV is present.

Viral detection
If the patient is symptomatic and the culture is positive for cytomegalovirus, then the patient likely has an active CMV infection. If the culture is negative, then the patient’s symptoms may be due to another cause or the CMV virus is not detectable in this sample.

If a test for CMV DNA is positive, then CMV is present. High levels of viral DNA tend to indicate an active infection. Low levels indicate a CMV infection but may not indicate a symptomatic condition. Decreasing concentrations (diminishing viral loads) reflect response to antiviral treatment. Levels that do not drop in response to antiviral treatment may reflect a resistance to the therapy being used. Negative results do not rule out CMV infection – the virus may be present in very low numbers or may not be present in the body sample tested.