Background: Polymerase chain reaction assays of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and plasma may facilitate the diagnosis of neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV).
Methods: Assays for HSV DNA were submitted from at least 1 specimen site (PBMC, plasma or cerebrospinal fluid) in 11 consecutive cases of neonatal HSV infection.
Results: HSV DNA was detected by PCR in the PBMC of 6 of 10 infants tested (60%), the plasma of 4 of 6 tested (67%) and the cerebrospinal fluid of 4 of 11 tested (36%).
Conclusions: HSV viremia is more frequent than previously appreciated, and detection of HSV DNA in PBMC and plasma is a useful diagnostic tool, particularly in infants without skin lesions.