There is considerable overlap of signs and symptoms seen in congenital and perinatal infections. In a neonate with "classic" symptoms of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, which one of the following tests would be most useful in establishing a diagnosis?

Presently, cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common cause of congenital and perinatal viral infections. Culture of the virus is a sensitive diagnostic technique; in the case of a neonate with classic symptoms, serum samples from the mother and neonate are obtained at bih. The IgM antibody titer in the infant's serum should be higher than the mother's titer, but they may be similar. For this reason, another sample from the infant at 1 month of age is tested simultaneously with the initial sample. The results should indicate a rise in IgM titer. Measurement of total IgM in the infant's sera at bih is nonspecific and may show false-negative and false-positive reactions. Reference: Ananthanarayan and Paniker&;s Textbook of Microbiology Tenth edition