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Unlike other congenital infections, such as syphilis and HIV, neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) is not a reportable disease in most states, and so the true incidence is not known. Mandated maternal screening and treatment have significantly reduced the incidence of neonatal infections and deaths due to syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B. Although it is recommended that pregnant women with known genital HSV infection receive suppressive antiviral medication to prevent outbreak at the time of delivery, there is currently no recommendation for routine screening of asymptomatic women.
Researchers retrospectively examined infant deaths from HSV, syphilis, and HIV in New York City from 1981 to 2013. Overall death rates were low: 0.82, 0.92, and 6.33…