Cytomegalovirus Seroprevalence in Morocco - a 10-Year Single-Center Study

BACKGROUND: Cytomegalovirus is a ubiquitous and endemic virus, typically causing asymptomatic or mild infections in immunocompetent individuals. However, it can lead to severe disease in immunocompromised patients and during congenital infections. The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of CMV in a Moroccan population. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional study at the Central Virology Laboratory of the Specialties Hospital in Rabat over a 10-year period, from April 1, 2015, to December 31, 2024. RESULTS: A total of 11,367 patients who underwent CMV serological testing were included. The overall CMV seroprevalence was 94.1%. The median age of seropositive individuals was significantly higher than that of seronegative individuals (26 [9;45] years vs. 3 [1;8] years; p < 0.001). Seroprevalence was found to increase significantly with age (74.0%, 83.0%, 91.9%, 95.6%, and > 97.7% in children under 2 years of age, and in those aged 2 - 5, 6 - 10, 11 - 16, and > 17 years, respectively; p < 0.001). Despite an increase in the number of testing requests over the study period, the annual seroprevalence remained stable, ranging from 92.2% to 95.7%. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that CMV seroprevalence in Morocco is high and aligns with rates observed in other developing countries.