Religion vs infection control: issue #6

Here's a new and very sad case to add to our series on the intersection of religion and infection control. A few days ago, The New York Daily News reported that an infant died in a Brooklyn hospital due to disseminated herpes simplex virus type I infection. The virus was transmitted to the baby via a practice, metzitzah b'peh, performed by some mohels following circumcision whereby the mohel uses his mouth to suck blood from the wound. In a related piece, a rabbi and mohel in the Broward-Palm Beach New Times blog, provides details on how the procedure can be performed safely while still fulfilling Talmudic requirements. Several other cases of neonatal herpes infection (see full text paper from Pediatrics here) and at least one death have been previously reported. Additional information from the New York City Health Department can be viewed here.

Graphic:  The ceremony of Brit-Milah by Herman Gold.