Retrospective diagnosis of congenital cytomegalovirus infection at a school for the deaf by using preserved dried umbilical cord.

A retrospective diagnosis of congenital cytomegalovirus infection was made for 3 of 26 students (12%) with either bilateral profound or severe sensorineural hearing loss at a School for the Deaf in Japan by detecting viral DNA with real-time polymerase chain reaction from dried umbilical cords that had been preserved at home.