Prospective Identification of Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection in Newborns Using Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assays in Dried Blood Spots

Abstract

The sensitivity and specificity of both CMV PCR assays of DBS to identify congenital CMV were very high in this population of neonates with a high risk of sequelae. These new data should be considered in the ongoing debate on the appropriateness of the use of DBS as a sample to screen for congenital CMV infection.