BREAST-MILK IS NOT A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE FOR EARLY EPSTEIN-BARR-VIRUS OR HUMAN HERPESVIRUS-6 INFECTION IN INFANTS - A SEROEPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY IN 2 ENDEMIC AREAS OF HUMAN T-CELL LYMPHOTROPIC VIRUS TYPE-I IN JAPAN

In order to evaluate the possibility of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and h uman herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) transmission via breast milk, a total of 33 1 serum specimens collected from bottle-fed and breast-fed children an d their mothers, in 2 endemic areas of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) in Japan, were assayed for antibodies to EBV and HHV- 6. The seroprevalences of EBV and HHV-6 were over 95% both in the moth ers of bottle-fed children and in those of breast-fed children. The se roprevalence of EBV at 12-23 months of age was 54.5% (36/66) and 55.8% (24/43) in breast-fed children and bottle-fed children, respectively. The seroprevalence of HHV-6 at 12-23 months of age was 90.9% (60/66) and 93.0% (40/43) in breast-fed children and bottle-fed children, resp ectively. No difference was observed between the seroprevalences of EB V and HHV-6 in breast-fed and bottle-fed children at 12-23 months of a ge. Our seroepidemiologic data indicate that breast milk is not a sign ificant source of early EBV or HHV-6 infection in infancy.