Lessons derived from a 3-year congenital cytomegalovirus screening programme in Israel: a prospective population based cohort study

This study looked at the results of a three-year universal screening program for congenital CMV (cCMV) in newborns at two hospitals in Jerusalem. Instead of testing each baby separately, researchers used a new pooled-saliva PCR method, where saliva samples from several babies are tested together. This approach turned out to be highly efficient, saving 83% of tests, while still being very sensitive. Out of almost 49,000 babies screened, 176 were diagnosed with cCMV, giving a prevalence of 3.6 per 1,000 births. Importantly, more than half (57%) of these infected infants would have been missed under the previous targeted testing strategy—which only screened babies who failed hearing tests or had other risk factors.

The universal screening helped detect babies who appeared healthy at birth but still had significant CMV-related conditions, such as hearing loss or brain imaging abnormalities. Some of these infants received early antiviral treatment, which can improve long-term outcomes. At one-year follow-up, most infants—especially those identified only through universal screening—had normal development and hearing.

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