The nurse warns other mothers about the potentially fatal infectious virus

An Orillia woman is on a mission to spread awareness about the leading infectious cause of birth defects.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a virus that can be transmitted through contact with bodily fluids, including saliva, breast milk, blood, urine, and feces, as well as through sex. Infected mothers can transmit congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) to the fetus.

Rylea Bromley, a nurse at Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital, says one in four children will get CMV before nursing age. It is also common for adults to contract it.

“When you’re affected by it, you might not know it,” she said. “You may have very minor symptoms, but if you’re a transplant patient or a child, then it can be harmful.”

In 2021, it is assumed that Bromley was infected with cCMV and passed it on to her son, Jasper. She then learned that the virus could cause the babies to develop disabilities such as cerebral palsy and seizure disorders.

“When Jasper was born, I knew for sure he had hearing loss,” Bromley said. “He had an MRI that showed complications with his brain, but what that meant, we didn’t know.”

For a year after his birth, Jasper saw several specialists and doctors to monitor his development.

“So far, the main thing for him seems to be the hearing loss,” Bromley said. “Certain things behaviorally lead us to believe it’s cCMV, but we’ll never know.”

She says many people, even in the health profession, are not aware of CMV.

“My own doctor knew very little about it,” she said. “One of the things CMV can cause is microcephaly, like Zika.”

She says it’s important for parents to avoid their children coming into contact with saliva from peers and siblings.

“That’s where it’s transmitted. You don’t want to share utensils, be careful about washing your hands and be careful about diapers,” she said.

CMV can be fatal, and Bromley has met other mothers who have lost babies to the virus.

“It seems extreme,” she said, “but when you talk to someone who has lost their child, they would definitely go back and take those precautions if they knew about it.”

She encourages everyone to learn more about CMV and the steps CMV Canada is taking to find a vaccine.

“If you know someone who is pregnant, tell them about it,” she said. “Word of mouth is huge.”

Funding is important to the cause of curing the virus and donations can be made here.

“The funding provides the capacity for more research and more awareness is becoming,” Bromley said.