New York – The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has issued an alert notifying the medical community that four new cases of neonatal herpes linked to metzitza b’peh have been documented over the past year.
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The alert, issued by Jay Varma deputy commission of the Department of Health’s Division of Disease Control, reported that the latest case of neonatal herpes was confirmed this past November, bringing the total number of cases linked to metzitzah b’peh up to 17 since the year 2000.
Of those 17 cases reported over the last 14 years, the Department of Health reported two deaths and two cases of brain damage that have been directly linked to metzitzah b’peh.
The alert was issued to all New York City emergency medicine physicians, pediatricians, pediatric infectious disease specialists, dermatologists, and infection control and microbiology laboratory staff, who were instructed to ask parents of babies circumcised in a non-hospital setting whether metzitza b’peh had been performed.
Medical personnel were told that herpes may present atypically and without fever and that potentially infected babies should be hospitalized immediately and treated with an intravenous regimen of the anti-viral drug acyclovir, also used to treat shingles and chicken pox.
The alert also notes that in all possible cases of herpes in babies less than two months old, medical providers are legally required to report the case to the Department of Health within 24 hours of diagnosis and to submit swabs of the affected area to a designated state laboratory for molecular testing.
can we get the names of these mohelim so we dont use these negligent people. or is that mesira?
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
You are placing your bacteria infected mouth on an OPEN would of a fragile newborn. Why is this even a debate?
The NYC Health Department consent form is obsolete. As well said above, when the “bacteria infected mouth” is placed on an “open wound of a fragile newborn” (who has an immature immune system), at least four crimes may be committed. First, endangering the welfare of a child. Second, a sex crime – there is no religious practice exception to a sex crime. Third, reckless endangerment. Fourth, negligent homicide.
Without knowing how many babies who have never had a bris develop herpes, this discussion is moot.
Unless there is DNA testing of the virus in each infection there is NO demonstrable correlation between Metzita B’peh and this infection.
We have no problem in Israel
#4 Are you crazy? What’s wrong with you. Sakonos Nefoshos and you say it’s mesira?
From the net “Herpes infection in babies is called neonatal herpes. This type of infection occurs in newborns and is caused by the herpes simplex virus (also known as human herpes virus). Although both herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1, also known as HHV1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2, also known as HHV2) can both cause neonatal herpes, most cases are caused by HSV2. Transmission usually occurs when a parent with oral or genital herpes passes on the virus to the baby before, during, or soon after the baby is born. Usually, the virus is passed on during delivery. The disease can affect the skin, eyes, mouth, lungs, liver, or central nervous system (brain and spinal cord).”
If the Mohel has oral herpes (not a bad thing) and sucks blood then he can pass on oral herpes (a bad thing). If the Mohel does not have herpes then he can’t.
A virus has DNA? Who knew?
As usual there are people who jump on mbp as the convenient excuse for them because their goal, whether they want to come out in public with it or not, is to take away bris milah because they don’t understand that this was a mitzvah given to us from Hashem. Unfortunately the people we have to fight most, are our own kind, people like “Modern Lakewood” above.
Unfortunately most people don’t realize that this is a direct attack on our religious freedom. We cannot give in on this.. MO Jews who are ready to throw in the towel on this point are doing themselves as well as everyone a major disservice not only when it comes to this aspect but also as far as any other mitzvah that we have to do. The govt or your boss will come back and say, oh well you don’t have to do that, i.e., leave work early on a Friday because Joe Schmo, who happens not to be religious, stays till 5 o’clock so there’s no reason for you to leave work early. Don’t you see? We’re messing ourselves up here! You guys are a bunch of useful idiots when it comes to this! Please open your eyes and realize the consequences of your actions.
This is not about a baby CH’V getting sick. If you don’t believe in this part of bris milah, that is your problem. Don’t force your lack of belief on the rest of us.
And for goodness sakes, please wake up and realize that this is an attack on our religious freedom!
Wake up!!!
#18 not it should be an attack on Mohelim who have the herpes virus and are killing or maiming babies so they can have the big zchus of doing a bris. As Joan Rivers said, “You are all crazy.”
If there were ch”v an outbreak of Ebola, nobody would dispute that public health concerns should alter procedures of taharas ha-meis. No frum Jew would allow a dermatologist to put his mouth on an open wound after removing a growth. Why are we so negligent with newborn babies? Do we suddenly deny the germ theory of disease?
How this remains a debatable issue in 2014, after the infection of so many boys from herpes-infected mohelim, is simply astonishing. The “frum” community that insists on this practice has put blinders on its eyes and has stuck its head in the sand, refusing to acknowledge what everyone knows is the truth, and is willing to let babies become brain-damaged and even die just to make the point that this practice is “from Hashem” which it clearly is not. Shame on all of you.