A new study by Hadassah researchers has shown that newborn screening for congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) –– a leading cause of childhood neurologic deficits with lifelong implications –– can be carried out reliably with pooled saliva tests for universal screening.
The study, conducted by Prof. Dana Wolf, director of Hadassah’s Clinical Virology Unit, along with Prof. Moran Yassour and the Hadassah neonatology team, emphasizes the significance of early detection through this method, especially for asymptomatic cases, highlighting its potential to revolutionize cCMV screening worldwide and improve the long-term outcomes for affected infants by enabling timely interventions.