Background: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common cause of congenital infection worldwide in newborns. Awareness of congenital CMV in the general population is reduced, and this lack of knowledge is extended to the medical profession. The present study aimed at assessing the awareness level about CMV infection among medical students of clinical years at King Abdulaziz University.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study, a standard questionnaire was filled by each student using electronic devices or computers.
Results: The study included 341 students of the 4th, 5th and 6th clinical years. Only about half of them knew that CMV infection is transmitted by sexual intercourse (46.9%), contact with saliva (51.6%), organ or marrow transplantation (42.2%), blood transfusion (57.8%), and transplacental (57.8%). A significant percentage of the respondents did not know various manifestations of CMV infection. The deficient knowledge was significantly higher among junior medical students, 4th-year students (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Our results indicate significant lack of knowledge among clinical yearsÂ’ medical students regarding nature, transmission, manifestations, and treatment of CMV infection. Further, the study documented a more considerable knowledge gap among 4th-year medical students.
Key words: Cytomegalovirus, transmission, cytomegalovirus infection, congenital cytomegalovirus, medical students
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