Herpes simplex virus infection in pregnancy: Diagnosis and significance

Herpes simplex viruses (HSV) cause genital infections, and HSV infection du ring pregnancy can result in infection of the neonate. Here HSV structure a nd replication, viral pathogenesis, human immune responses to HSV, the epid emiology, details of HSV diagnosis with emphasis on typing, clinical featur es and antiviral treatment are reviewed. The importance of appropriate diag nostic procedures in relation to correct risk assessment of neonatal infect ion is emphasized.