Most adults in the US have been infected by
cytomegalovirus, although the
virus usually does not cause disease in healthy people. Because the
virus remains in the body for life, it can cause disease if the
immune system becomes severely damaged by disease or suppressed by drugs.
CMV retinitis is an eye disease common among people who are infected with HIV. Without treatment, people with
CMV retinitis can lose their vision.
CMV infection can affect both eyes and is the most common cause of blindness among people with
AIDS.