Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous herpes virus that leads to a life-long persistence. The frequency of infection ranges from 50% to 100% in the general adult population. Human cytomegalovirus causes severe and often fatal disease in immunocompromised individuals including recipients of organ transplants and AIDS patients. It routinely reactivates in healthy virus carriers, but this is usually controlled by the host immune response. Monocytes may be an important reservoir for latent HCMV, however, the primary reservoir may be a more primitive cell from the myeloid lineage. Reactivation may result from cellular differentiation or inflammation.
