A three-week-old infant, born to a Charedi family in Haifa, was brought to the Bnei Zion medical center in Haifa in serious condition. It is believed that the infant contracted the Herpes virus during his Bris Milah. The infection caused serious contamination in the young boy’s brain that caused seizures. Lab results showed that the infant was suffering from herpes. Head of the Pediatrics Department in Bnei Zion, Professor Yitzchak Serugo said: “The infant has been hospitalized in serious condition. It appears that he has a brain infection that is causing prolonged seizures and a serious infection of his skin.” The baby was rushed to the hospital by his parents who noticed the infection a number of days after his bris. During his time in the pediatrics department, the herpes virus was discovered in his spinal fluid, his brain, and on the lesions on his skin. The infant seized for the first three days after being hospitalized in spite of receiving anti-seizure medication. According to Professor Serugo, the infant is receiving anti-viral treatment to remove the virus from his brain but will have to undergo continuing treatments for the next six months in order to eradicate the disease completely. The Chief Rabbinate of Israel issued a statement in response to the incident: “The incident will be investigated by the committee that oversees mohalim on behalf of the Health Ministry and the Chief Rabbinate. All mohalim are instructed to tell the parents exactly how the bris will be performed and are responsible for disinfecting their mouths prior to performing the mitzvah. From an initial investigation, it was found that the mohalim who conducted the bris has not conducted any others since this incident.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

The post Charedi Infant In Critical Condition After Contracting Herpes At His Bris appeared first on The Yeshiva World.