The new Coronavirus first detected in mother’s milk
Almost daily new insights to the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is currently being obtained. A recent study now provides evidence of a further possible route of Transmission: The researchers RNA of the Virus have been detected in the breast milk.
To is the Transmission of the new Coronavirus is much, as yet, unclear, and corresponding uncertainties also exist in the necessary safety precautions. In the case of infected mothers, the question of whether a contagion of the child can also be done via the mother’s milk, for example. Virologists at the University hospital of Ulm have now been able to demonstrate for the first time, RNA of the Virus in the breast milk. Their results were published in the journal “The Lancet”.
The mother’s milk and Coronavirus investigated
The research team of Professor Jan Münch and Rüdiger Large of the Ulm University medicine has a joint study with Karin Steinhart from the health Department in Heidenheim the breast milk of two women who had been tested after the birth a positive effect on SARS-CoV-2. “The evidence of a possible virus infection and determination of viral load was performed at different time points after the positive Corona-test results of mothers”, according to the University of Ulm.
The women shared a room
Both women were divided according to the University hospital after the birth together with the newborn in a room, and after one of the women disease symptoms developed, had you been with your newborn in isolation and a positive Test for SARS-CoV-2. In the room, a neighbor only after the dismissal of the typical symptoms of COVID-19 (a disease through SRAS-CoV-2) such as cough, slight fever and a loss of smell and sense of taste had occurred. Then, this woman had been positive for SARS-CoV-2 tested.
Four consecutive positive Tests
“While in the mother’s milk samples of the first sick wife, no evidence that the new Coronavirus found was the SARS-CoV-2 result in the milk of the second nut samples four Times in a row positive”; the research team reported. With the method of quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) was not only the detection of an infection, but also a determination of the virus load. This was at about 100,000 viral genome copies per Milliliter of breast milk.
Baby also get infected
If the infected Baby has on the mother’s milk, or other possible route of Transmission could not be clarified in the context of the study clearly. However, the women have worn the onset of symptoms when handling the infant had a surgical mouth-nose protection, as well as her hands and Breasts disinfected, according to the research team. In addition, you have sterilized regularly used, breast pump and other breastfeeding paraphernalia. Nonetheless, stay unclear whether or not the Baby is actually Breastfeeding has infected.
What are the transmission routes in question?
So far, it is known that the new Coronavirus is transmitted primarily by droplet infection from person to. But the question is, what other transmission paths in question. For example, the first study to have shown evidence that the Coronavirus is also the chair-transferable. The new study now shows that SARS-CoV-2 can be in lactating women with acute infection as well as in the breastmilk.
However, it remains unclear “how this is often the case that the virus in the milk are also infectious and by Breastfeeding the infant can be transferred,” says Professor Jan Münch. The two women studied no Virus was, according to the University hospital after 14 days in breastmilk and mother and child recovered from COVID-19. (fp)