title: Eradication of Cytomegalovirus from Human Milk by Microwave Irradiation: A Pilot Study.
abstract: Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-infected human milk (HM) can lead to significant CMV morbidity and mortality in preterm very-low-birth weight infants. The eradication of CMV in HM while preserving its properties poses a major clinical challenge.
  
  
  
  We aimed to compare two methods used to neutralize the virus in HM, one recognized as partially effective (freezing) and another not tested to date (microwave exposure).
  
  
  
  We sampled HM from 31 CMV-seropositive mothers whose infants were hospitalized at the Lis Maternity Hospital. Fifteen samples that were positive for CMV antigen were divided into five 5 mL aliquots: the first a control, the second was frozen at -20°C for 1 day, the third was frozen at -200°C for 3 days, and the fourth and fifth aliquots were exposed for 30 seconds to microwave radiation at a low-power setting (500 W) and high-power setting (750 W), respectively.
  
  
  
  Only microwave radiation at a high-power setting led to complete neutralization of CMV in all samples. Low-power microwave irradiation had a 13% failure rate while 3-day freezing and 1-day freezing had failure rates of 7% and 20%, respectively.
  
  
  
  It is possible to eradicate CMV successfully in HM by using microwave radiation at a high-power setting. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effect of microwave heating on breast milk properties.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Neonatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center , Tel Aviv, Israel .|2 Department of Pediatrics, "Dana Dwek" Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center , Tel Aviv, Israel .
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ben-Shoshan
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Neonatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center , Tel Aviv, Israel .|2 Department of Pediatrics, "Dana Dwek" Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center , Tel Aviv, Israel .|3 Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv, Israel .
authors.forename: Dror
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mandel
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Neonatology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center , Tel Aviv, Israel .|2 Department of Pediatrics, "Dana Dwek" Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center , Tel Aviv, Israel .|3 Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv, Israel .
authors.forename: Ronit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lubetzky
authors.affiliation: 3 Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv, Israel .|4 Department of Neonatology, The Helen Schneider Hospital for Women, Rabin Medical Center , Petah Tikva, Israel .|5 Department of Philosophy, Bar Ilan University , Ramat Gan, Israel .
authors.forename: Shaul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dollberg
authors.affiliation: 3 Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv, Israel .|6 Department of Neonatology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center , Jerusalem, Israel .
authors.forename: Francis B
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Mimouni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000528:radiation effects*; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008872:Microwaves; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000821:virology*; D009753:Nutritive Value; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology*