SYNONYM OR CROSS REFERENCE: Human herpes virus 5 (HHV-5) Footnote 1, CMV Footnote 2 Footnote 3, HCMV. CHARACTERISTICS: Member of the family Herpesviridae and subfamily Betaherpesvirinae Footnote 1.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a common virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it infects between 50 to 80 percent of all adults by the time they reach 40 years old.