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Fatal herpes virus infection Father of critically ill baby admonishes on Facebook
Infection with herpes viruses is uncomfortable for most people, but usually harmless. For newborns, however, herpes represents a deadly danger. The father of a seriously ill boy has now turned to the public with a Facebook post. He urges other parents to be more careful.
Herpes infection for healthy adults usually harmless
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), two out of three people are infected with herpes. In some infected people there are regular outbreaks of herpes in the mouth or other parts of the skin, such as the nose. Characteristic features include the red, itchy blisters, usually on the lip. Others never again suffer from symptoms after initial infection. And in the majority of those affected both the primary infection goes unnoticed and they remain free of symptoms later, although the herpes virus lifelong in the body. However, in some cases, such as those with a weak immune system or newborn, infection can be dangerous. So also with the little John. The infant has been infected with herpes and can no longer be cured.
For healthy adults, a herpes infection is often unpleasant but usually harmless. For newborns, however, herpes can become a deadly danger. (Image: Ekaterina / fotolia.com) Little John "never gets well again"
About two weeks after birth, the child began to show symptoms. When the baby was experiencing restlessness, straining, and trembling, the parents were worried at first, but "the midwife assumed that it was a blockade caused by the speedy birth," it says in a post Facebook created by the boy's father under the username Toto Rockin. Under a black and white image of an infant, he warns against the extremely dangerous for infants virus. "It's too late for John. He never gets well again, "he writes in the entry.
Inflammation of the brain caused by herpes viruses
As the boy's complaints worsened, his parents took him to the hospital. After four days, the diagnosis was made there: According to media reports, John suffers from herpes encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain caused by herpes viruses. "John had somewhere caught a herpes virus that could migrate through the not yet formed blood-brain barrier into the brain and there began to ignite and destroy large parts of the brain," says the father. According to the information, the condition of the baby is still not stable after four weeks of treatment. The virus has damaged large parts of the child's brain. "John has to fight alone now and no one can say if he can do it or if he will have years, months, weeks or days until his brain fails."
Experts advise special care in infants
The goal of the Facebook post, which has now been shared ten thousand times, was to warn of the dangers of the virus. "Cold sores are potentially contagious. Keep away from babies, do not even look in the stroller, you could infect the child, even if it is not completely fresh, "said Toto Rockin. Even a kiss for babies can be fatal, experts warn. The website of the Professional Association of Pediatric Adolescents (BVKJ) states that the virus can also lead to miscarriages and birth defects in the unborn child. The experts advise parents of newborns and infants to wear a surgical mask as long as they have cold sores and are in the vicinity of the child. Basically, a strict hygiene, such as careful hand cleaning, should be followed. "With cold sores, the mother unfortunately has to do without kissing and petting with her child," writes the BVKJ. Even when breastfeeding mothers should rather wear a surgical mask. (Ad)