Disseminated Neonatal Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 from a Maternal Breast Lesion

Abstract
Most cases of neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) result from contact with infected secretions from the maternal genital tract.1 Postnatal acquisition of neonatal HSV infections, a subject recently reviewed by Light,2 is uncommon. We report a case of fatal neonatal HSV-1 infection acquired by contact with a maternal breast lesion. Restriction endonuclease "fingerprinting" revealed a similar pattern in the viruses isolated from the maternal breast lesion and the infant's skin lesion. The purpose of this report is to alert physicians of this potential route of transmission, especially in women experiencing primary mucocutaneous HSV infection at or near term. CASE REPORT A 3,693-g male infant was born to a 21-year-old white primigravida after an uneventful term pregnancy.

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