PREVALENCE OF CYTOMEGALOVIRUS-INFECTION IN ITALY

Between 1987 and 1989, the prevalence of antibody to cytomegalovirus (CMV) was determined, by the ELISA method, in serum samples from 1494 apparently healthy subjects, 3-18 years old. Subjects were selected by a systematic cluster sampling from five geographical areas in Italy. The overall prevalence of antibody was (64.2%, increasing from 54.4% in 4-6-year-olds to 73-3% in subjects 17-18 years old (P < 0.01). Prevalence of antibody was significantly higher in females (P < 0.05) and in subjects residing in the South of Italy (P < 0.01). A significant association was found with sociodemographic factors. Subjects belonging to a household with six or more persons had a 1.5-fold risk (C.I. 95% = 1.11-2.04) and subjects whose fathers had less than 6 years of schooling had a 1.4-fold risk (C.I. 95% = 1.1-1.87) of previous exposure to (CMV infection. The high prevalence (74.4%) of young women who are naturally immune when entering child bearing years does not guarantee that there will be a low risk of fetal infection.