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West
Nile Virus and Breast-feeding
Q.
Can West Nile virus be transmitted through breast milk?
A. Based on a recent case in Michigan, it appears that West Nile
virus can be transmitted through breast milk. A new mother in Michigan
contracted West Nile virus from a blood transfusion shortly after
giving birth. Laboratory analysis showed evidence of West Nile virus
in her breast milk. She breastfed her infant, and three weeks later,
her baby's blood tested positive for West Nile virus. Because of
the infant's minimal outdoor exposure, it is unlikely that infection
was acquired from a mosquito. The infant was most likely infected
through breast milk. The child is healthy, and does not have symptoms
of West Nile virus.
Q.
Should I continue breast-feeding if I am symptomatic for West Nile
virus?
A. Because the health benefits of breast-feeding are well established,
and the risk for West Nile virus transmission through breast-feeding
is unknown, the new findings do not suggest a change in breast-feeding
recommendations. The American Academy of Pediatricians and the American
Academy of Family Physicians recommend that infants be breastfed
for a full year of life.
Lactating
women who are ill or who are having difficulty breast-feeding for
any reason, as always, should consult their physicians.
Q.
Should I continue breast-feeding if I am not symptomatic for West
Nile virus?
A. Yes. Because the health benefits of breast-feeding are well established,
and the risk for West Nile virus transmission through breast-feeding
is unknown, the new findings do not suggest a change in breast-feeding
recommendations.
Q.
If I am breast-feeding, should I be tested for West Nile virus?
A. No. There is no need to be tested just because you are breast-feeding.
Q.
Is there any evidence that West Nile virus is transmitted from mother
to child during pregnancy or during birth?
A. There is no evidence that West Nile virus can be transmitted
during pregnancy or birth.
Q.
Are infants at higher risk than other groups for illness with West
Nile virus?
A. No. West Nile virus illnesses in children younger than 1-year-old
are infrequent. During 1999-2001, no cases in children younger than
one year of age were reported to CDC. Of the over 2500 total West
Nile Virus cases in 2002, only four were less than one year of age.
We know that one of these infants was not breast-feeding, and investigation
of the other infants is underway.
Q.
If I am breast-feeding, should I use insect repellent containing
DEET?
A. Yes. Insect repellents help people reduce their exposure to mosquito
bites that may carry potentially serious viruses such as West Nile
virus, and allow them to continue to play and work outdoors. There
are no reported adverse events following use of repellents containing
DEET in pregnant or breast-feeding women.
Source:
CDC
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