Mucosal Site Detection of Herpes Simplex Virus in Neonates

Rachel J Graf; Ingrith Viviana Hoyos García; Alvaro Dendi; Natalie O White; Traci Pifer; Rachelle Harris; Douglas Salamon; Asuncion Mejias; Pablo J Sánchez

doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2024.114212

Mucosal Site Detection of Herpes Simplex Virus in Neonates

J Pediatr. 2024 Dec:275:114212. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2024.114212. Epub 2024 Jul 24.

Authors

Rachel J Graf¹, Ingrith Viviana Hoyos García², Alvaro Dendi³, Natalie O White⁴, Traci Pifer⁵, Rachelle Harris⁶, Douglas Salamon⁷, Asuncion Mejias⁸, Pablo J Sánchez⁹

Affiliations

¹ The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH; Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Center for Perinatal Research, Ohio Perinatal Research Network, Columbus, OH.
² Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Center for Perinatal Research, Ohio Perinatal Research Network, Columbus, OH; Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Universitario del Valle, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.
³ Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Center for Perinatal Research, Ohio Perinatal Research Network, Columbus, OH; Department of Neonatology, Centro Hospitalario Pereira Rossell, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
⁴ Pediatrix Medical Group of Ohio, Columbus, OH.
⁵ Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Center for Perinatal Research, Ohio Perinatal Research Network, Columbus, OH; Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH.
⁶ Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Center for Perinatal Research, Ohio Perinatal Research Network, Columbus, OH.
⁷ Department of Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology Laboratory, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH.
⁸ Department of Infectious Diseases, St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN.
⁹ The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH; Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Center for Perinatal Research, Ohio Perinatal Research Network, Columbus, OH; Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39059717
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2024.114212

Abstract

From 2001 to 2023, 17 (14%) of 120 neonates with confirmed herpes simplex virus infection tested positive for herpes simplex virus by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) from only mucosal sites without a clinical mucosal lesion. Whether mucosal PCR positivity reflects early infection that may lead to recognizable disease, transient colonization, or a false-positive PCR result remains a clinical conundrum and warrants further study.

Keywords: PCR; acyclovir; neonatal herpes; neonate.

MeSH terms

DNA, Viral / analysis
Female
Herpes Simplex* / diagnosis
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Male
Mucous Membrane / virology
Polymerase Chain Reaction* / methods
Retrospective Studies
Simplexvirus* / genetics
Simplexvirus* / isolation & purification

Substances

DNA, Viral