cytomegalovirus
a common virus of the herpesvirus family, usually harmless or causing mild colds but capable of producing severe systemic damage in infected newborns and immunosuppressed persons. Abbreviation: CMV
Origin of cytomegalovirus
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British Dictionary definitions for cytomegalovirus
/ (ˌsaɪtəʊˈmɛɡələʊˌvaɪrəs) /
a virus of the herpes virus family that may cause serious disease in patients whose immune systems are compromised: Abbreviation: CMV
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for cytomegalovirus
[ sī′tə-mĕg′ə-lō-vī′rəs ]
Any of a group of herpes viruses of the genus Cytomegalovirus that cause enlargement and abnormal structures in the cell nucleus (known as nuclear inclusions) in infected cells. Although the virus usually causes minor or no symptoms in normal adults, it is a common cause of opportunistic infections in immunosuppressed patients and can cause life-threatening congenital infections.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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