Why is herpes simplex virus disease risk so much greater for newborns?

(Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News) Interferon is a crucial component of the human immune system's response to infection by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), but how important a role it plays in determining the severity of disease and explaining why newborns are so much more susceptible to HSV-1 infection than adults remains unclear.

Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - April 28, 2017 Category: Global & Universal Source Type: news