Herpes Cure Advocacy is advocating to make the neonatal herpes infection reportable via a recommendation from the Committee of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE).
Neonatal herpes is a rare disease that usually results from exposure to HSV in the maternal genital tract during delivery. Data from a study from Dr. David Kimberlin at the University of Alabama at Birmingham of the period 2009-2015 showed a rate of 1 case in every 1,900 live births, translating to approximately 2,000 babies born with neonatal HSV each year in the United States. Based on recent data from the CDC, case rates for neonatal HSV are increasing. CDC data also detail the high burden and cost (over $100,000 per case) of newborns impacted by herpes. This is especially unacceptable since these infections are preventable.
Changing public health guidelines to make a condition reportable is a long process involving recommendations from public health experts, and coordination between the CSTE and CDC. In this multiple step process to make a condition reportable, the CSTE STI committee must first issue a position statement about the importance of neonatal herpes and the rationale and public health benefit of reporting it via public health tracking systems similar to influenza, Covid-19, and other neonatal conditions.
After a position statement is issued, the CSTE will vote on changes to their recommendations in their annual meeting, which will occur next year in 2026.
Herpes simplex virus is a rare cause of disease in neonates, but one with significant morbidity and mortality. Approximately 2,000 infants in the United States are impacted by neonatal HSV every year. While there have been advances in treatment over the years, still over 100 babies die from neonatal HSV and 250 survivors are left with significant neurologic damage each year. But these statistics are really only estimates. Until neonatal herpes is a reportable disease, the true extent of damage inflicted upon these babies is simply not known. We must urge public health leaders to make N-HSV reportable, both to improve our maternal health infrastructure and prevent more families from being impacted.
Dr. David W. Kimberlin, MD
Professor of Pediatrics
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
How to help?
Send Emails! A CALL TO ACTION for those who want to support this effort can email the CSTE organizational leaders. Advocates can contact the CSTE Board Leadership or CSTE board president.
Learn more about the justification to make Neonatal Herpes a reportable condition.
Join our n-HSV task force!
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