A Case of Fatal Congenital Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Abstract

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome is a clinical condition caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which can be transmitted either vertically or horizontally. More than 90% of children living with HIV in developing countries have been infected through mother to child transmission during pregnancy, around the time of birth, or through breastfeeding. In order to reduce the number of infected children, increasing emphasis should be placed on preventing mother to child transmission programs with the use of antiretroviral medications in the pregnant woman during pregnancy and at delivery and, starting immediately after birth for the exposed infant. Here, we present the case of a 60-day-old infant heavily immunocompromised due to an extremely high viral burden of HIV, which was acquired perinatally from an undiagnosed and untreated mother, leading to severe bronchopneumonia, sepsis, septic shock and death.