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. 2012 Feb;97(2):162-5.
doi: 10.1136/adc.2010.204677. Epub 2011 Jun 17.

Herpes simplex serious neurological disease in young children: incidence and long-term outcome

Katherine N Ward  1 , Anu Ohrling, Naomi J Bryant, Jennifer S Bowley, Euan M Ross, Christopher M Verity
Affiliations
Free PMC article

Herpes simplex serious neurological disease in young children: incidence and long-term outcome

Katherine N Ward et al. Arch Dis Child. 2012 Feb.
Free PMC article

Abstract

Objective: To determine the contribution of herpes simplex virus (HSV) to serious neurological disease.

Setting and patients: A 3-year prospective survey of children aged 2-23 months in Britain and Ireland.

Results: 19 children had HSV central nervous system (CNS) infection; 13 aged 2-11 months had focal neuroimaging abnormalities and 11 long-term neurological sequelae. Of six aged 12-35 months, one had abnormal neuroimaging and three long-term neurological sequelae. 17 of the 19 had serious neurological disease. HSV CNS infection accounted for 23% of serious neurological disease in children aged 2-11 months and 4.5% in older children.

Conclusions: The incidence of HSV-induced serious neurological disease in the UK was estimated at 1 in 64 000/year in younger children and 1 in 230 000 in older children. HSV CNS infection has clinical effects ranging from frank encephalitis to severe illness with fever and convulsions to milder disease lacking encephalopathy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests None.

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