Intrafamilial transmission of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV): long-term dynamics of epitope-specific antibody response in context of avidity maturation.

Background: The role of a special early family formation (PEKiP), which is popular in Germany, as a potential origin of HCMV-transmission to seronegative mothers is not documented.

Objectives: To describe the clinical courses, to identify the virological origin and to evaluate a new tool for diagnosis of a cascade of intrafamilial HCMV primary infections.

Study Design: This prospectively analyzed long-term course of HCMV primary infection leading to hospitalization of two family members, included the evaluation of different IgG/IgM/IgG avidity-assays with an epitope-specific recombinant immunoblot-assay.