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The mortality of neonatal herpes simplex virus infection

Eduardo Lopez-Medina1, Joseph B Cantey2, Pablo J Sánchez3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia; Centro de Estudios en Infectología Pediátrica, Cali, Colombia.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|April 15, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Neonatal herpes simplex virus infection is fatal in 26% of cases. Despite early treatment with acyclovir, severe disease often develops rapidly in infants.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Virology

Background:

  • Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection poses a significant threat to neonates.
  • Neonatal HSV infection can lead to severe morbidity and mortality.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the clinical course and outcomes of neonatal herpes simplex virus infection.
  • To determine the case-fatality rate of neonatal HSV infection.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective study of 13 neonates with fatal HSV infection.
  • Data collected from 2001 to 2011.

Main Results:

  • A 26% case-fatality rate was observed.
  • Fatal disease occurred within 48 hours of age in one-third of cases.
  • Disseminated disease was the predominant presentation.
  • Acyclovir therapy did not prevent fatal outcomes in most cases.

Conclusions:

  • Neonatal herpes simplex virus infection has a high mortality rate.
  • Rapidly progressive and disseminated disease is common.
  • Current treatment strategies may be insufficient for severe neonatal HSV infections.

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