Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-22dnz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T19:14:05.063Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Brief Report: Primary and Recurrent Herpes Simplex Infection in a Pediatric Nurse Resulting from a Human Bite

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Laurence Fuortes*
Affiliation:
Departments of Preventive and Internal Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, and the US Public Health Servicr Hospital, Barrow, Alaska
Enrico Melson
Affiliation:
Departments of Preventive and Internal Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, and the US Public Health Servicr Hospital, Barrow, Alaska
*
Department of Preventive Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242

Extract

A case of primary and recurrent herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection resulting from a bite wound' occurring in a pediatric nurse is presented. HSV infection as an occupational hazard among hospital, personnel is briefly reviewed.

Herpes simplex virus occurring as herpes whitlow is a well-known hazard among dentists and dental technicians. There is one report in the literature of a large series of nurses in a neurosurgical unit contracting herpetic whitlow. There is one case in the literature of a physician contracting primary herpes simplex infection from mouth-to-mouth resuscitation of a patient with herpes simplex pneumonia. Three days after performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, the physician developed painful papulovesicular lesions over the beard area, which subsequently ulcerated and crusted. One year after the resuscitation, the physician experienced cervical lymphadenop-and a recurrence of herpetic lesions in the same areas as the original infection. We report a case of primary and recurrent herpes simplex type 1 infection with disabling causalgia in a licensed practical nurse resulting from a bite wound received from a child hospitalized with pneumonia.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Jones, J: Herpetic whitlow: An infectious occupational hazard. J Occup Med 1985; 27(10):725728.Google Scholar
2.Stern, H: Herpetic whitlow: A form of cross-infection in hospitals. Lancet 1959; 21:871874.Google Scholar
3.Hendricks, A, Shapiro, E: Primary herpes simplex infection following mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. JAMA 1980; 243(3):257258.Google Scholar
4.Buddingh, C, Schrum, D, Lanier, J. et al: Studies of the natural history of herpes simplex infections. Pediatrics 1953; 11:595609.Google Scholar