2 new mothers die of Herpes infection contracted during cesarean sections

The women were both treated by the same surgeon.

Two hospitals in the United Kingdom are being investigated after two new mothers both died of Herpes infections contracted after they had undergone surgery. The families were told there was no connection between the deaths but have now called for an inquest after discovering that both women were operated on by the same surgeon. It was found that both Kimberley Sampson, 29, and Samantha Mulcahy, 32, died as a result of HSV-1 infections. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), HSV-1 is a highly contagious infection and those carrying it can usually be asymptomatic. The two women underwent surgery at different hospitals with Sampson undergoing her cesarean section at Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in May 2018 and Mulcahy undergoing the same procedure at William Harvey Hospital in July 2018. Because both women attended different hospitals the family originally accepted that there was no connection between the deaths, but now the East Kent Hospitals Trust is being questioned after it was found that the same surgeon performed the surgeries. According to the BBC The East Kent Hospitals Trust stated that it could not identify the source of the infection and  adding that the surgeon involved had no history of the virus. On the other hand sexual health consultant, Peter Greenhouse, feels that it seems like the most likely reason that these women contracted the virus was from the surgeon;

"The only common source here, in a hospital-based scenario, would be the surgeon who performed the operations."

He went on to say that if the surgeon did in fact unknowingly have Herpes, he could have spread it to both women's abdomens during surgery. In the meantime the families of Sampson and Mulcahy are still looking for answers. Neither of the newborns of Sampson or Mulcahy were found to be suffering from the virus.