Herpes simplex virus infection in minor burn injury: a case report

This is a relative rare case of 0.5% TBSA (total body surface area) burn wound infection caused by Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). A 1-year-old male infant had deep second degree burn of the left fourth finger with 0.5% TBSA after exposure to a hot object. Blisters and vesicles surrounded by erythema were obvious in the examination of the burned area. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gene sequencing analyses addressed contamination of the burn wound with HSV. Three days after the administration of antibiotics, the wound was relatively healed and finally, the patient was discharged in good general health, and no signs of relapse were observed in the 3-month follow-up. Although HSV infection is rarely reported in non-immunocompromised patients and TBSA burn injuries, due to the high prevalence of HSV infection and its mortality potential in the affected patients, HSV infection should be clinically suspected in the cases with delayed wound healing. In addition, since HSV infection is very contagious, and exposure to patients with HSV infection might be highly problematic for other patients hospitalized in burn wards; hence, proper facilities should be provided for the isolation care of the burn patients with HSV infection.