A comparison of CMV nucleotide diversity by gene in samples between infants with normal hearing and those with SNHL revealed a significantly higher diversity (p < 0.0007) in 6 genes: UL57, UL20, UL104, US14, UL115, and UL35 in children with hearing loss (Additional file 5: Table S4). This evidence concerns the gene RPS29 and sensorineural hearing loss disorder.