PREVALENCE OF CYTOMEGALOVIRUS INFECTION IN INFANTS IN IRAN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Cytomegalovirus is one of the most significant causes of infection in infants, leading to congenital disabilities, developmental disabilities, hearing loss, and even death. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of cytomegalovirus infection among infants in Iran through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scientific Information Database, as well as Magiran electronic databases were searched to find relevant articles published up to September 2024. A hand search was also conducted on primary review sources and key studies. The languages of the studies were limited to Persian and English. Bias assessment of the studies was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale checklist. Data analysis was conducted using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software version 3.

A total of 15 observational studies, including 5889 infants were included in the analysis. The results of the meta-analysis showed that the prevalence of cytomegalovirus in infants was 3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.01–0.10; P < 0.05). Additionally, the prevalence of cytomegalovirus in male and female infants was 2% (95% CI: 0.004–0.10; P < 0.05) and 3% (95% CI: 0.007–0.16; P < 0.05), respectively. No statistically significant relationship was observed between the prevalence of cytomegalovirus in infants and the year of publication of the studies (P > 0.05). However, a statistically significant relationship was observed between the prevalence of cytomegalovirus in infants and the sample size of the studies (P < 0.05). Publication bias was noted in the study (P < 0.05).

The findings showed that cytomegalovirus prevalence is high in infants, and comprehensive surveillance programs are necessary for the effective management and prevention of cytomegalovirus infections in infants.