What is the treatment or anti-biotic for cytomegalovirus infection?

There is no treatment for CMV. If is a virus. Like any other virus, it needs to run its course.

Where is the CMV infection?

There are three drugs approved for the treatment of CMV retinitis, ganciclovir, foscarnet and cidofovir. Ganciclovir and foscarnet are also commonly used to treat CMV in other parts of the body. Ganciclovir, foscarnet and cidofovir have been shown to slow down the progression of CMV, although they cannot cure the illness. Until recently, all anti-CMV drugs had to be given by intravenous infusion, which means into a vein. With ganciclovir and foscarnet, intravenous treatment requires having a permanent catheter placed in the chest for daily infusions. Cidofovir does not require a catheter, because it only requires infusions every other week.

Ganciclovir is now available in two other formulations. A pill form can sometimes be used after receiving two weeks of intravenous therapy, called induction therapy. Induction therapy is used to bring the CMV retinitis under control. The pill form of ganciclovir can then be taken daily for maintenance therapy. A device that releases ganciclovir directly into the eye is approved for the treatment of CMV retinitis. This device is called Vitrasert. Treatment with Vitrasert is localized, meaning it only treats the eye and can't be used for treating CMV in other parts of the body.

The side effects of ganciclovir can be neutropenia (a low number of white blood cells called neutrophils), nausea, vomiting, and lowered levels of a hormone called testosterone. Foscarnet can cause kidney problems due to dehydration and sodium depletion which can slow down the passage of fluid through the kidneys and cause decreased function and sometimes failure. Side effects from foscarnet should be watched for in the third week of treatment. Cidofovir can cause kidney problems and has to be given with a drug called probenicid to reduce the risk of kidney failure.