When Was Cytomegalovirus Discovered?

Intranuclear inclusions typical of cytomegalovirus infections

cytomegalovirus infections
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is responsible for the most common viral opportunistic infection in persons with acquired immunodeficiency virus syndrome (AIDS). Clinical disease due to CMV has been recognized in up to 40% of patients with advanced HIV disease.
were first noticed in 1881 by German scientists who thought they represented protozoa. After viruses were grown in cell cultures, Weller, Smith and Rowe independently isolated and grew CMV from man and mice in 1956-1957.

How long has CMV been around?

CMV was discovered in the 50s by the same team of doctors that discovered polio, measles, mumps and chicken pox - yet CMV still remains almost unheard of and without any safe or effective vaccination or treatment. More needs to be done to support the development of a vaccine.

Who discovered human cytomegalovirus?

In 1950, Smith and Vellios showed that infection may occur in utero. The introduction of exfoliative cytology methods allowed identification of characteristic cells in the urine of infected infants. Smith in 1956, Rowe and coworkers in 1956, and Weller et al in 1957 independently isolated human CMV strains.

Alexander Ross

Alexander Ross

Gaming, Esports & Interactive Media Writer

Alexander Ross has covered the video game industry for a decade, writing deep dives on game design, esports tournaments, VR developments, and gaming culture.