Newborn in Israel Hospitalized with Herpes After Circumcision Involving Direct Mouth Contact

A two-week-old baby at Wolfson Medical Center in Holon was hospitalized with a severe herpes infection that reached the cerebrospinal fluid after a brit milah that used direct oral suction. Doctors warn that mouth-to-wound contact can transmit HSV-1 and lead to CNS involvement, urging mohels to use sterile equipment instead. The infant is receiving IV antiviral therapy for several weeks and may need months of preventive treatment.