Cytomegaloviruses (Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, 154)

This book focuses on (1) the molecular biology of cytomegaloviruses and (2) the current understanding of the immune response to infection by this member of the herpesvirus group, including progress toward the development of vaccines. In two of the chapters, comparisons between human cytomegalovirus and animal models are made. Infection with human cytomegalovirus is found worldwide and can be associated with a wide spectrum of disease, particularly when infection occurs in a developing foetus or in an immunocompromised individual as, for example, in transplant patients and those with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Congenital infection can be inapparent, or can vary clinically from a mild self-limited syndrome to a frequently fatal disease. In some cases neurological sequelae are seen. A proportion of normal adults experiencing primary infection will develop mononucleosis or, rarely, a form of hepatitis or encephalitis. The new studies on transcription, proteins and immunity together with completion of the DNA sequence of the virus genome reported in this volume provide the basis for future advances in the understanding of gene expression, protein function, antiviral design and vaccine development.