TY - JOUR T1 - Herpes simplex serious neurological disease in young children: incidence and long-term outcome JF - Archives of Disease in Childhood JO - Arch Dis Child SP - 162 LP - 165 DO - 10.1136/adc.2010.204677 VL - 97 IS - 2 AU - Katherine N Ward AU - Anu Ohrling AU - Naomi J Bryant AU - Jennifer S Bowley AU - Euan M Ross AU - Christopher M Verity Y1 - 2012/02/01 UR - http://adc.bmj.com/content/97/2/162.abstract N2 - 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. ER -