Manitoba expanding newborn screening to include congenital CMV

More than 1,500 newborns have been screened for congenital CMV since December 2025.

The Manitoba government will be examining infants for a new virus that could cause complications such as hearing loss.

Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced Tuesday the province is screening for congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) when children are born, joining other provinces like Saskatchewan and Ontario.

“Today is about Manitoba families,” Asagwara said at the Manitoba legislature. “It is about giving every Manitoba child the strongest start to life.”

Congenital CMV affects approximately one in every 200 births, and is one of the most common non-genetic causes of permanent hearing loss in children, according to the province. Many infants show no symptoms of the infection at birth.

The screening expanded in Dec. 2025, and more than 1,500 newborns have been screened in Manitoba.

“That means families are receiving answers sooner, clinicians have critical information earlier, and more opportunities to intervene at the moment that intervention can mean all the difference,” Asagwara said.

The province said the test is incorporated into the regular newborn screening program that screens for more than 40 disorders. A blood sample is taken from a heel-prick within the child’s first day of life, and testing is done at Cadham Provincial Laboratory.