Maternal and Neonatal Herpes Simplex Virus Infections

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 361; no. 14; pp. 1376 - 1385
• Main Authors: Corey, Lawrence, Wald, Anna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Waltham, MA Massachusetts Medical Society 01.10.2009
• Subjects: Acyclovir - therapeutic use; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Female; General aspects; Herpes Simplex - diagnosis; Herpes Simplex - drug therapy; Herpes Simplex - mortality; Herpes Simplex - transmission; Herpesvirus 1, Human; Herpesvirus 2, Human; Humans; Incidence; Infant, Newborn; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical - prevention & control; Male; Medical sciences; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Human; Virus; Infection; Medicine; Neonatal; Newborn; Mother; Herpesviridae; Alphaherpesvirinae; Herpesvirus hominis
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJMra0807633

Whether it is caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 or type 2, neonatal HSV infection is a devastating disease if untreated, and more than 30% of pregnant women in the United States have genital infection with HSV. This review summarizes the current facts on this disease and its early identification and treatment, as well as the prospects for more effective prevention. Neonatal HSV infection is a devastating disease if untreated, and more than 30% of pregnant women in the United States have genital infection with HSV. This review summarizes the current facts on this disease and its early identification and treatment, as well as the prospects for more effective prevention. An estimated 25 to 65% of pregnant women in the United States have genital infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) or HSV type 2 (HSV-2). 1 Neonatal HSV infection, defined as infection in a newborn within 28 days after birth, is an especially devastating consequence of the epidemic of genital herpes. Untreated neonatal HSV infection is associated with only a 40% survival rate, and even with the early initiation of high-dose intravenous acyclovir therapy, it results in considerable disability among survivors. On the basis of hospital discharge data, the frequency of neonatal HSV infection in the United States varies . . .