{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,10]],"date-time":"2026-10-10T21:16:44Z","timestamp":1791667004343,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":69,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,15]],"date-time":"2024-05-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1715731200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common cause of congenital infection internationally, occurring in 0.67% of births, and increasingly recognised as a major public health burden due to the potential for long-term neurodevelopmental and hearing impairment. This burden includes estimates of 10% of childhood cerebral palsy and up to 25% of childhood deafness. In Sub-Saharan Africa, where CMV-seroprevalence is almost ubiquitous, prevalence of congenital CMV (cCMV) is higher than the global average, and yet there is a dearth of research and initiatives to improve recognition, diagnosis and treatment. This narrative review outlines the epidemiology and clinical presentation of cCMV, discusses issues of case identification and treatment in Sub-Saharan Africa, and recommends a framework of strategies to address these challenges. Considering the significant burden of cCMV disease in this setting, it is undoubtably time we embark upon improving diagnosis and care for these infants.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1359663","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,15]],"date-time":"2024-05-15T11:26:01Z","timestamp":1715772361000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Congenital cytomegalovirus in Sub-Saharan Africa\u2014a narrative review with practice recommendations"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Helen","family":"Payne","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shaun","family":"Barnabas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"697","DOI":"10.1586\/14789450.2014.971116","article-title":"The life cycle and pathogenesis of human cytomegalovirus infection: lessons from proteomics","volume":"11","author":"Jean","year":"2014","journal-title":"Expert Rev Proteomics"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"728","DOI":"10.1093\/cid\/cit766","article-title":"High rates of congenital cytomegalovirus infection linked with maternal HIV infection among neonatal admissions at a large referral center in sub-Saharan Africa","volume":"58","author":"Mwaanza","year":"2014","journal-title":"Clin Infect Dis"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1439","DOI":"10.1086\/652438","article-title":"Cytomegalovirus seroprevalence in the United States: the national health and nutrition examination surveys, 1988-2004","volume":"50","author":"Bate","year":"2010","journal-title":"Clin Infect Dis"},{"key":"ref4","first-page":"108","article-title":"Is antenatal screening for rubella and cytomegalovirus justified?","volume":"83","author":"Schoub","year":"1993","journal-title":"S Afr Med J"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"663","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJM199203053261003","article-title":"The outcome of congenital cytomegalovirus infection in relation to maternal antibody status","volume":"326","author":"Fowler","year":"1992","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"S15","DOI":"10.1093\/infdis\/jiz443","article-title":"Natural history of congenital cytomegalovirus infection in highly seropositive populations","volume":"221","author":"Mussi-Pinhata","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Infect Dis"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e11","DOI":"10.1093\/cid\/ciq085","article-title":"Attribution of congenital cytomegalovirus infection to primary versus non-primary maternal infection","volume":"52","author":"Wang","year":"2011","journal-title":"Clin Infect Dis"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e2120736","DOI":"10.1001\/jamanetworkopen.2021.20736","article-title":"Congenital cytomegalovirus infection burden and epidemiologic risk factors in countries with universal screening: a systematic review and Meta-analysis","volume":"4","author":"Ssentongo","year":"2021","journal-title":"JAMA Netw Open"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"865","DOI":"10.3855\/jidc.11373","article-title":"Epidemiology of cytomegalovirus among pregnant women in Africa","volume":"13","author":"Mhandire","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Infect Dev Ctries"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"44","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijid.2013.12.010","article-title":"Systematic review of the birth prevalence of congenital cytomegalovirus infection in developing countries","volume":"22","author":"Lanzieri","year":"2014","journal-title":"Int J Infect Dis"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"601","DOI":"10.1136\/archdischild-2022-323809","article-title":"UK congenital CMV infection collaboration (UKCCIC). 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