MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CYTOMEGALOVIRUS-INFECTION IN KINDERGARTEN-CHILDREN

This study was conducted to determine the source of cytomegalovirus (C MV) excretion in children who had persistent viruria. A total of 287 c hildren, ages 3-5 years, enrolled in two kindergartens were followed f or 9 months, and 28.8% of 139 CMV-infected children were found to have shed virus persistently in urine for greater than or equal to 3 month s. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method provided direct evid ence to demonstrate differences in CMV strains shed by 32 persistent s hedders selected at random. The glycoprotein B (gB) nucleotide regions of CMV were amplified and analyzed by restriction enzyme digestion. T he CMV strains shed by most of these children showed different restric tion profiles compared with strains from their playmates. It is consid ered that persistent reactivation of endogenous CMV is the most plausi ble explanation. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss. Inc.