Infant congenital infection screening gets funding boost

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This article was published 02/06/2024 (501 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Every infant born in Manitoba will soon receive screening for a congenital infection that can cause hearing and vision loss, and developmental delays.

“Today was the most successful day I think I could have ever imagined because today the premier of our province decided this was an important enough cause to announce… that we would have universal screening for all newborn babies for (cytomegalovirus),” said Rob Tétrault’s, president of CMV Canada.

“This is something I’ve been working on for 16 years.”

Tétrault started the national charity, which works to prevent cytomegalovirus (CMV), after his son was infected with the virus more than a decade ago.

CMV Canada hosted a half marathon in the St. Vital area Sunday where roughly 70 people — including Premier Wab Kinew — ran to raise awareness about the virus.

After the event, Kinew announced his government’s commitment to introducing a universal screening program in Manitoba health facilities.

“We want to work with the experts… to be able to monitor this initiative,” he said. “The main takeaway is that more young people in Manitoba are going to have this health benefit over the course of their lives.”

Manitoba previously only screened some children for CMV. The virus is asymptomatic in healthy adults, meaning parents can unkowngingly pass CMV to their children during birth or through breast milk. Babies infected with congenital CMV appear healthy at birth but can develop symptoms over time.

One in 200 infants in Canada are infected with CMV during pregnancy, and one in five of those will have a permanent disability directly caused by the virus. Early treatment with antiviral medication has to be done early — Canadian CMV Foundation recommends within 21 days after birth.

Other provinces already have universal screening programs for the virus.

Manitoba’s 2024-25 budget, tabled in April, included funding to introduce its own universal screening program.

The provincial government is allocating $2 million annually to pay for the screenings, but Kinew said the program is expected to cost roughly half that amount.

“This is more than just a health initiative. This is about community, this is about something we can all be proud about working on together for our province.”

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca