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Cytomegalovirus‐related childhood mortality in A ustralia 1999–2011
Author(s) -
SmithersSheedy Hayley,
RaynesGreenow Camille,
Badawi Nadia,
Khandaker Gulam,
Menzies Robert,
Jones Cheryl A
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/jpc.12896
Subject(s) - medicine , pediatrics , cytomegalovirus , mortality rate , confidence interval , disease , natural history , cause of death , infant mortality , viral disease , immunology , population , herpesviridae , virus , environmental health
Aim Cytomegalovirus ( CMV ) is an important cause of congenital infection, which can result in neonatal deaths or contribute to deaths in later childhood. Post‐natally acquired CMV is a less common cause of disease and mortality, and only in preterm infants or immunocompromised children. Here we sought to describe CMV as a direct or secondary contributor to childhood mortality in A ustralia. Method We searched national mortality data sets between1999 and 2011 for cases <15 years with CMV recorded as an underlying or contributing cause of death. Results Eighty‐three CMV ‐associated deaths in children <15 years were identified (0.2 cases per 100 000 <15 years; 95% confidence interval 0.16–0.24). Childhood deaths associated with CMV were evenly distributed between males and females, and the majority ( n = 57; 68%) occurred in children less than 12 months of age, with 22 cases <1 month of age. Over the 13‐year study period, the mortality rate remained stable and CMV resulted in an estimated age‐adjusted 5925 years of potential life lost. Conclusions CMV makes a small but important contribution to childhood mortality in A ustralia. Most CMV ‐related deaths occurred in infants <12 months of age. These infant deaths may be an indirect marker of the burden of severe intrauterine CMV disease given the natural history of this infection.