Transmission of SEN virus from mothers to their babies

Sera from 30 women at high risk for infection, one half of which were SEN virus positive (SENV+), were collected at delivery to study SENV mother-to child transmission. Thirteen of their babies were positive for at least one SENV strain: one baby was SENV+ at birth, eight became positive within 6 months from delivery, and four became positive in the following months. Our data indicate that vertical transmission of SENV does occur, presumably, at delivery, but it may not induce persistent viremia. This is supported by the fact that, generally, SENV is not detected at birth, by the high SENV homology in the sequences found in the mothers and in their children, by a lack of other risk factors for infection of the babies, and by the irregular detection of SENV in the follow-up. No clinical events surely linked to SENV infection were found, but transient elevations of alanine aminotransferase were observed in babies followed for a long period of time. (C) 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.