Breast Milk Is Not a Significant Source for Early Epstein‐Barr Virus or Human Herpesvirus 6 Infection in Infants: A Seroepidemiologic Study in 2 Endemic Areas of Human T‐Cell Lymphotropic Virus Type I in Japan

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Abstract
In order to evaluate the possibility of Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) and human herpesvirus 6 (HHV‐6) transmission via breast milk, a total of 331 serum specimens collected from bottle‐fed and breast‐fed children and their mothers, in 2 endemic areas of human T‐cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV‐I) in Japan, were assayed for antibodies to EBV and HHV‐6. The seroprevalences of EBV and HHV‐6 were over 95% both in the mothers of bottle‐fed children and in those of breast‐fed children. The seroprevalence of EBV at 12–23 months of age was 54.5% (36/66) and 55.8% (24/43) in breast‐fed children and bottle‐fed children, respectively. The seroprevalence of HHV‐6 at 12–23 months of age was 90.9% (60/66) and 93.0% (40/43) in breast‐fed children and bottle‐fed children, respectively. No difference was observed between the seroprevalences of EBV and HHV‐6 in breast‐fed and bottle‐fed children at 12–23 months of age. Our seroepidemiologic data indicate that breast milk is not a significant source of early EBV or HHV‐6 infection in infancy.