Herpes simplex (neonatal)
Clinical criteria
Any infant ≤42 days of age with clinical findings consistent with Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) infection. Three clinical presentations of neonatal HSV infection are recognised however overlap may occur:
- Infection limited to the skin, eyes and/or mucous membranes (SEM disease) e.g vesicular lesions, keratoconjunctivitis, chorio-retinitis.
- Localised central nervous system (CNS) infection e.g. meningo-encephalitis
- Disseminated infection involving multiple organs e.g. pneumonitis, hepatitis, meningo-encephalitis, disesminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
Laboratory criteria
- Virus isolation, or detection of HSV DNA, from an appropriate clinical specimen (CSF, blood, skin or other tissue)
- Histologic evidence of HSV infection from an autopsy in the case of death.
Confirmed case
Laboratory confirmation of infection with or without clinical illness in a child age ≤42 days of age:
- Virus isolation, or detection of HSV DNA, from an appropriate clinical specimen (CSF, blood, skin or other tissue) or histologic evidence of HSV infection from an autopsy in the case of death.
Probable case
A case of clinically compatible illness in a child age ≤ 42 days without other known causes of infection.
Current as of: 28 January 2019