West Nile virus transmitted via breast milk? (Infected Mother Nursed Infant for 17 Days).

IgM specific to the West Nile virus has been found in the serum of a 25-day-old infant who was nursed on breast milk that also tested positive for viral antibodies.

These findings suggest that the child has been infected with the virus, and that breast milk was the most likely source, Dr. Lyle Petersen said during an Internet Webcast held by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Passage of the antibody from mother to infant via breast milk would be too minimal to be detected on a serum test, said Dr. Petersen of the CDC.

So far, the baby remains healthy "These findings do not suggest a change in breast-feeding recommendations," he said. Only women with HIV infection or human T-leukemia virus type 1 should avoid nursing their infants, he added.

The baby's mother contracted the virus from two units of packed red blood cells she received after giving birth, so the virus was not transmitted in utero. Since the infant had minimal outdoor exposure before the viral antibodies were found, it is unlikely that a mosquito was the source.

The woman received one unit of blood 6 hours after giving birth on Sept. 2 and a second unit the following day She was discharged the next day despite running a fever. She complained of intermittent fever and headaches and was readmitted ...