Cytomegalovirus Infections of Man

The human cytomegalovirus (CMV) are members of the herpes-like virus group, and share some of the virologically interesting properties of that group, such as latent infection over a long period, recrudescence of infection in the face of preexisting circulating antibody, and the propensity to cause disease in compromised hosts. The human CMV are also a major cause of congenital viral infections, and virus-induced neonatal morbidity. This monograph, prompted by the First International Conference on Cytomegalovirus Infections, July 1970, St. Gall, Switzerland, is a comprehensive and current review and synthesis of the literature on human CMV infections. The data reviewed are more easily available than those usually found in this type of work, due to the compilation of information from numerous sources into easily comprehended, referenced tables that summarize the clinical and virologic studies. However, the comprehensive approach also becomes a drawback, leading, for example, to a somewhat uncritical discussion of