Breastfeeding and transmission of viruses other than HIV-1

Abstract

The risk of HIV-1 transmission from mother to infant through breastfeeding is well established, but less attention has been paid to the implications of other viruses present in breast milk. Acquisition of human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) through breastfeeding has been reported, but the risk of transmission appears to be lower than for HIV-1. For other viruses, such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) and human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1), transmission through breastfeeding is common and well documented, and infection can result in short- or long-term consequences in the infant. For hepatitis B and C viruses, although mother-to-child transmission occurs, breastfeeding does not appear to be a major route of transmission. In this chapter, the implications of these viruses identified in breast milk are described. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media New York.