Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Tests
Reviewed
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) tests check for signs of CMV in your blood, sputum, or other body fluids. CMV is a common virus that usually stays dormant after infection but can reactivate. Testing helps diagnose a current, reactivated, or past CMV infection in people at risk for health complications, such as those with weakened immune systems, pregnant women, and newborns. There is no cure for CMV, but antiviral medicines and other treatments may reduce symptoms and improve outcomes.
Preparation and collection
No special preparations for a blood or sputum test, or for an infant saliva or urine test. You may need to empty your bladder before a spinal tap. You may be asked to fast for several hours before a biopsy. For an amniocentesis, you may be asked to not urinate before the test (to have a full bladder) or to have an empty bladder in later pregnancy.
Understanding this test
Use the reference interval and units printed by the laboratory that performed the test. A result outside that interval is not a diagnosis by itself, and a result inside it does not rule out every condition. Your symptoms, history, medicines, timing, and related tests can change what the result means.
- The test can show whether you have ever had a CMV infection, but it cannot tell if it is a current, past, or reactivated infection.
- If you have symptoms and/or risk factors such as an immune system disorder, your provider may do additional tests to help make a diagnosis and create a treatment plan.
What to do next
If you have questions about your results, talk to your provider or your child's provider.
Evidence source
U.S. National Library of Medicine: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Tests