Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a common virus passed easily between toddlers and pregnant women, is the leading infectious cause of congenital disability in Australia. And yet, most Australians have never heard of it.

CMV disables more children each year than Down syndrome or spina bifida — and yet it barely registers in the national consciousness.

And that’s what’s driven Cerebral Palsy Alliance to spearhead CMV Awareness Month throughout June — a campaign to lift the lid on the virus, push clear prevention messages, and put this silent threat on the public health agenda.

This year saw signs of progress. National media coverage via platforms like Mamamia and Kiindred helped carry messages beyond the health sector and into households, where the virus often spreads undetected. But one chilling statistic still dominates: only 14% of women aged 20–40 know what CMV is.

Every year, more than 400 babies are born with lifelong disability caused by congenital CMV. And yet, simple steps — like not kissing toddlers on the lips, or not sharing food and cutlery — could prevent many of these infections.

Throughout June, CPA focused not just on families, but also on frontline healthcare workers. A raft of free resources — from e-learning tools to research bulletins and a CMV prevention network — was distributed to midwives, GPs and obstetricians.

The message is simple: awareness saves lives. And while June has ended, the work continues.

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The problem with CMV isn’t just the virus itself — it’s the silence surrounding it. Despite being alarmingly common, congenital CMV remains underreported, under-researched, and dangerously misunderstood.

Unlike other childhood illnesses, there’s no vaccine for CMV — yet. The point is that most infections during pregnancy could be avoided if expecting mothers were given timely, practical information.

This is why CPA’s campaign isn’t focusing on parents — it targets the health system itself.

GP‘s or midwives might only mention CMV if they’re trained to spot it. Too often they’re not.

CPA's free online resources — including clinical e-learning modules, the CMV Register, and a Disability Prevention Network — aim to bridge this gap. But these efforts are being led by a charity, not a coordinated national health policy.

And the stakes are high. Babies with congenital CMV can face hearing loss, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, and epilepsy. In many cases, the virus is contracted in early pregnancy — often from a toddler sibling who shows no symptoms at all.

Advocates are now calling on governments to do more than simply support awareness months. They want clear CMV prevention guidelines included in prenatal care, education embedded into antenatal appointments, and a national response to a disease that is entirely preventable.

Until then, CMV will remain one of Australia’s most tragic health failures — not because we didn’t know how to stop it, but because we didn’t try hard enough.