Most people are immunocompromised for up to 6 months after the transplant.
And during the first 3 to 6 months after the transplant you're at higher risk of a transplant rejection but after the 6 months the risk of the transplant rejection is lower.
An organ transplant can weaken your immune system and make you more prone to infections.
It is also more difficult for transplant patients to recover from infections and minor infections can also become very serious and lead to death if left untreated.
The most common virus after a transplant is a CMV virus also known as Cytomegalovirus infection.
The Cytomegalovirus is the most common viral infection which can occur following an organ transplant.
A cytomegalovirus infection can also directly and indirectly affect a kidney allograft.
The Cytomegalovirus is a genus of viruses that are in the order Herpesvirales, in the family Herpesviridae, in the subfamily Betaherpesvirinae.
Humans and other primates serve as natural hosts of the cytomegalovirus.
The 11 species in this genus include human betaherpesvirus 5, which is the species that infects humans.
Rarely, CMV causes a healthy adult to develop mononucleosis.
Other rare complications for healthy adults infected with cytomegalovirus include problems with the digestive system, liver, brain and nervous system.
Although the cytomegalovirus is not highly communicable, it can however be spread from person to person by direct contact.
The cytomegalovirus is shed in the urine, saliva, semen and to a lesser extent in other body fluids.
Transmission of the cytomegalovirus can also occur from an infected mother to her fetus or newborn and by blood transfusion and organ transplants.
The symptoms of the cytomegalovirus include.
A high temperature or fever.
Aching muscles.
Tiredness.
A skin rash.
Feeling sick.
Sore throat.
Swollen glands.
In healthy people, the cytomegalovirus is almost always mild and goes away on its own.
People with weakened immune systems however can lose their vision or have life-threatening and disabling illnesses that can require lifelong therapy to prevent these complications.