title: Herpes simplex serious neurological disease in young children: incidence and long-term outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the contribution of herpes simplex virus (HSV) to serious neurological disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infection and Immunity, Centre for Virology (UCL Campus), Windeyer Institute of Medical Sciences, University College Medical School, 46 Cleveland Street, London W1T 4JF, UK. k.n.ward@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Katherine N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Anu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohrling
authors.forename: Naomi J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Jennifer S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bowley
authors.forename: Euan M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Christopher M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Verity
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D020803:Encephalitis, Herpes Simplex / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012640:Seizures / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology