Rachel and I at cCMV conference in CA

Why I do what I do

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Pregnant women: Don't share food or mouth kisses

I'm at the conference now listening to scientists from all over the world about their CMV research. It appears that pregnant women are more likely to contract CMV if they are sharing mouth kisses and food. Although careful handling of saliva through hand washing is important, it's more important to remember to kiss your child on the cheek rather on the mouth. The virus doesn't not live long outside of the body.

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CMV Program and Abstracts

Download CMV 2012 Program, which begins on Monday in California:
http://www.mcaevents.org/t/files/6838_cmv_2012_final_program_website_10-22-12-it-it.pdf

Download Abstract Summary:
http://www.mcaevents.org/t/files/6842_abstract_book-faculty-it-it.pdf

My talk is on Monday, October 29, 9:00 a.m.
My PowerPoint: mon_900_saunders.ppt
Abstract:

Raising Congenital CMV Awareness

Lisa Saunders

Congenital CMV Foundation

Abstract: Writer Lisa Saunders will discuss her efforts to raise congenital CMV awareness among women of childbearing age. One is through her book about her daughter born severely disabled by CMV, and another is through social media and her blog, congenitalcmv.blogspot.com, which specializes in reaching the general public with news about diagnosis, treatment and vaccine development. This information is then shared on Twitter and Facebook. Saunders will explain how to submit your own posts or press releases for publishing on her blog by writing to her at saundersbooks@aol.com, and how you can become a blogger on the online newspaper Patch.com, owned by AOL. Another important way the CMV community can raise awareness is through writing "Letters to the Editor." Publications are eager to publish your comments if they relate to a certain article--and the public does read those letters. In addition, anyone can send a press release to the media. For example, if you are presenting a talk on congenital CMV or just had an article published, you can send area newspapers and broadcast media a press release--they may just have a reporter contact you for an interview. For additional tips about getting free publicity, Lisa’s free e-book, How to Promote Your Business (or yourself), is available at: www.smashwords.com/books/view/56623

 

Bio: Writer Lisa Saunders has been trying to raise congenital CMV awareness since the death of her 16-year-old daughter Elizabeth in 2006. Born severely disabled by congenital CMV, Elizabeth was unable to walk, talk, sit up, roll over or feed herself. Cortically blind, she was beginning to lose her hearing at the time 9

of her death during a seizure. Despite Elizabeth’s disabilities, she had a happy childhood growing up beside her big sister and a variety of pets, which Lisa recounted in her memoir, "Anything But a Dog: The perfect pet for a girl with congenital CMV," which Lisa uses as a tool to raise awareness. In addition to her book, Lisa raises awareness through her blog, http://congenitalcmv.blogspot.com/, where the scientific community is invited to reach the general public by submitting posts about diagnosis, treatment and vaccine development.

As the parent representative of the Congenital CMV Foundation, Lisa spoke about her daughter’s life with CMV at the 2008 Congenital CMV Conference held at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. She speaks to nursing students and other health-related organizations and was a featured speaker at a Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics webinar.

Lisa lives in Mystic, Connecticut, with her husband and beagle/basset hound. A graduate of Cornell University and the author of several books, she is a freelance publicist and was awarded the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations Gold Medallion. Her memoir about Elizabeth and the big, homeless dog that became her companion is available as an e-book on Amazon. If a soft cover is purchased directly from the publisher, a percent of the proceeds are donated to the National Congenital CMV Disease Registry and Research Program through the link: www.unlimitedpublishing.com/cmv

 

Photos of Elizabeth are available on Lisa’s website at www.authorlisasaunders.com. Lisa can be reached at saundersbooks@aol.com
 

2012 Conference starts on Monday!

I'm leaving tomorrow to join others who want to learn and share information on congenital CMV. The talks begin on Monday and I'll be giving my talk at 9:00 a.m. about raising congenital CMV awareness locally and online. I hope to see you in California!

Congenital CMV Conferences & International CMV/Betaherpesvirus Workshop

CMV 2012 to be held in San Francisco, California from Monday October 29 through Friday November 2, 2012.

In an effort to efficiently promote the advancement of CMV-based research and to develop novel research, clinical, and public health strategies broadly targeting CMV, the Congenital CMV Conference and the International CMV/Betaherpesvirus Workshop are jointly holding a combined meeting. Entitled CMV 2012, the meeting will be held October 29th to November 2nd, 2012 at the Mission Bay Conference Center in San Francisco, California.

The areas of focus of both the Congenital CMV Conferences and the International CMV/Betaherpesvirus Workshop will be well represented at CMV 2012.

One impetus for CMV 2012 is to provide a cost-effective mechanism for maximizing scientific interactions while minimizing the costs to the attendees. The first part of CMV2012 will emphasize relevant issues of congenital infection, with particular attention on clinical pathogenesis, epidemiology and diagnosis, community awareness and family involvement with congenital CMV disease, novel treatments and clinical trials. In addition, the final session of the first half of the meeting will be devoted to vaccines, antivirals, and therapeutics. This session will overlap with the beginning of the second half of the meeting, which will focus on the molecular virology of CMV with emphasis on aspects of virus-cell interactions, viral replication, antiviral immunity and viral modulation of host immune responses, and transplantation-associated diagnosis/treatment/prevention of CMV disease. We, the organizers, are very excited about the broad exchange of diverse ideas and extensive cross-fertilization that this type of conference will provide. It is our fundamental belief that the cost savings of bringing both conferences together will allow more students, postdoctoral fellows, junior scientists, and clinicians to attend and add to the scientific vitality of CMV 2012.

What Women Aren't Expecting When They are Expecting

I received the following press release from Janelle Greenlee, President/Founder, Stop CMV - The CMV Action Network:

What Women Aren't Expecting When They are Expecting Only 13% of Women Have Heard of CMV - The Most Common Viral Cause of Birth Defects, Disabilities June 1, 2012 - Hot on the heels of the recent box office draw, What to Expect when You're Expecting, pregnant women are being warned by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about what they may not expect -- CMV (cytomegalovirus), a common virus that can cause birth defects and developmental disabilities. A 2010 CDC survey reported that only 13 percent of women had heard of CMV, and very few were aware of prevention measures against the virus. In the popular pregnancy book by the same name, What to Expect when You're Expecting, women are told that the chances of becoming infected with CMV during pregnancy are "remote." Not so, says the CDC. The CDC reports that one in every 150 children is born with congenital CMV. CMV is the most common congenital (meaning present at birth) infection in the United States and is the most common viral cause of birth defects and disabilities, including deafness, blindness, cerebral palsy, mental and physical disabilities, seizures, and death.     CMV is present in saliva, urine, tears, blood and mucus, and it is carried by 70 percent of healthy infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and children who contract the virus from their peers. Pregnant women who come into contact with these fluids can contract CMV, posing a major risk to daycare workers, preschool teachers, therapists, nurses and, more importantly, mothers who may not practice the best hygiene around their own small children.     "These messages need to be communicated to pregnant women to inform and empower them to take a more active role in their personal hygiene and healthcare decisions," says Janelle Greenlee, president and founder of Stop CMV and mother to twin daughters, both born with congenital CMV.     But pregnant women aren't being educated by medical professionals about how to prevent CMV. Both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the CDC recommend that OB/GYNs counsel women on basic prevention measures to guard against CMV infection. These include frequent hand washing, not kissing young children on the mouth, and not sharing food, towels or utensils with small children. The United States Senate has even weighed in, passing legislation that recommends more CMV prevention counseling for women of childbearing age.     Women's awareness of CMV ranks last among other birth defects and common childhood illnesses despite CMV being one of the most common and most serious causes of birth defects and disabilities. "A lot of people are really shocked when they hear that there are as many kids with disabilities from congenital CMV as there are kids with fetal alcohol syndrome or Down syndrome or spina bifida -- and people haven't heard of it," said CDC epidemiologist Michael Cannon. June is National Congenital CMV Awareness Month Stop CMV, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of congenital CMV, wants to increase CMV's public profile to save thousands of children from disability and death.Stop CMV can connect media with parent supporters in the United States who will provide local media interviews. Please contact media@stopcmv.org. ###

Stop CMV - The CMV Action Network www.StopCMV.org media@stopcmv.org