| med. |
A herpesvirus that can cause infection in many parts of the body. Typically, only people with weakened immune systems become seriously ill from cytomegalovirus CMV infection. In people with HIV, CMV can cause serious illnesses, including pneumonia infection of the lungs, gastroenteritis infection of the gastrointestinal tract, encephalitis inflammation of the brain, or retinitis infection of the eye. CMV infection that affects a body part other than the liver, spleen, or lymph nodes is an AIDS-defining condition in people with HIV. see also cytomegalovirus retinitis, herpesviruses |
