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

Abstract

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.2 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.3 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 lymphadenopathy 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. REPORT OF A CASE