Seroepidemiology of cytomegalovirus infection among children between the ages of 4 and 12 years in Taiwan.

Researchers analyzed seroepidemiologic data on 362 4-12 year old public school children living in metropolitan Taipei Taiwan to determine risk factors for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. 58% of the sera tested positive for anti-CMV IgG antibodies and 0.6% for anti-CMV IgM antibodies. None of these children had had any CMV-related diseases or cytomegalic inclusion disease related syndromes. The logistic regression analysis indicated that the most significant risk factor for CMV seropositivity was duration of breast feeding. Specifically children who had been breast fed for >24 months were 2.43 times more likely to be CMV seropositive than were those who had been breast fed for =or 7 years risk ratio=1.61; p=.003) and younger mothers (=or< 25 years risk ratio=1.54; p=.025). Socioeconomic status day care or crowded living conditions were not associated with CMV seropositivity. These results indicated that primary CMV infection among children in Taiwan is due to natal or postnatal infection (infected genital tract and infected breast milk) instead of congenital transmission as is the case in developed countries.