The cytomegalovirus seroprevalence among children in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina: A hospital cross-sectional study

Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) seroprevalence varies between 60% in developed countries and 100% in developing countries. The aim of this study was to assess CMV seroprevalence in representative sample of children in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to identify possible factors associated with CMV. Methods: Blood samples and surveys were collected from 253 children at the Department of Paediatrics and Department of Infectious diseases of University Clinical Hospital Mostar. Blood sera were tested for the presence of CMV IgG antibodies by ELISA. CMV seroprevalence was correlated with age, gender, household members, presence of pets and animals in household, attendance of day-care and summer camps and use of already used cutlery. Results: Overall CMV seroprevalence among children was 56.5% (P = 0.038) and raised with age of children from 44.4% in early preschool children up to 73.9% in adolescents (P = 0.002). There was no significant difference in the CMV seroprevalence between genders (P = 0.732). Significantly higher rate of the CMV seroprevalence was observed among children having pets or domestic animals (P = 0.015), among those who attended summer sport camp or school camp (P = 0.04) and among children using of dirty cutlery and glasses (P = 0.039). Conclusions: More than half of tested children were CMV seropositive with significantly higher rate in older children. Higher CMV seroprevalence was in correlations with possession of the pets or domestic animals, attendance at the summer sport camp or school camp and use of dirty cutlery and glasses.