A Randomized, Double-Blind Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Oral Ganciclovir for the Prevention of CMV Disease in People Infected With the Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Inclusion Criteria Concurrent Medication: Allowed: * Topical or ophthalmic nucleoside analogs. Patients must have: * Confirmation of HIV infection. * Documented CMV infection. * No past or present CMV disease (e.g., retinitis, colitis, esophagitis). * Adequate visualization of the retina of both eyes by ophthalmologist. * CD4 count \<= 50 cells/mm3 (in patients WITHOUT a history of an AIDS-defining opportunistic infection or chronic gynecologic infection) OR CD4 count \<= 100 cells/mm3 (in patients WITH a history of an AIDS-defining opportunistic infection or chronic gynecologic infection). Exclusion Criteria Co-existing Condition: Patients with the following symptoms or conditions are excluded: * Presence of gastrointestinal disease or symptoms not controlled with medications (e.g., persistent nausea, abdominal pain or persistent diarrhea within the past 4 weeks that is not controllable with medication). * Inability to comply with protocol. Concurrent Medication: Excluded: * The following nucleoside analogs: * IV ganciclovir, IV acyclovir for more than 2 weeks total duration, oral acyclovir at doses \> 1000 mg/day, vidarabine, amantadine hydrochloride, cytarabine, idoxuridine. * FIAU, FIAC, foscarnet, CMV hyperimmune globulin, IV immune globulin, CMV monoclonal antibody, HPMPC. * Imipenem-cilastatin (Primaxin). Patients with the following prior condition are excluded: History of hypersensitivity to acyclovir. Prior Medication: Excluded within the past 60 days: Ganciclovir, foscarnet, FIAC, FIAU, CMV hyperimmune globulin, CMV monoclonal antibody, or HPMPC.