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Neonatal herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is a rare (approximately 1500 cases annually) but devastating disease. Identifying infants with possible infection who should be treated empirically is a challenge, given the variety in presentation.
To better describe the timing and symptoms of early neonatal HSV infection, investigators retrospectively reviewed charts of all 49 HSV-infected infants with symptom onset before 42 days of age who were admitted to two children's hospitals during an 11-year period.
Findings were as follows:
78% of infants had symptoms present by 2 weeks of age, and 63% had presented to a healthcare provider by that time.
45% presented with disseminated disease, 33% presented with central nervous system (CNS) disease, an…