Baby dies after contracting herpes which 'ate up her lungs and brain' from a kiss

A mother has revealed that her newborn baby died after catching herpes from a 'kiss of death'.

The child, Aliza Rose Friend was just eight days old when she passed away after developing neonatal herpes from the HSV-1 virus.

Her mum, Abigail, 19, said that the newborn was healthy for the first 36 hours of her life before she developed a fever, became lethargic and lost any interest in food.

Aliza quickly deteriorated as the disease 'ate her lungs and brain', leaving her struggling to breathe and suffering seizures.

She was declared brain dead on May 20 and medics turned off her life-support.

Doctors later told Abigail, from Oakland, that her daughter likely caught the herpes infection after being kissed by someone with the virus, which typically manifests as a cold sore.

Abigail went on to post a facebook message that garnered over 500,000 responses, where she wrote, “Wash your hands. Do not kiss babies” alluding to the misfortune that had befallen her.

“There's not a moment goes by that I don't think about her. She's in my thoughts every day,”Friend said.

Although doctors have told Miss Friend her daughter became unwell from a kiss, or after being touched by unwashed, contaminated hands, there is no way of telling who passed the virus on.

Doctors claimed the illness was so rare it was practically a 'fluke' and assured Miss Friend and Mr Hensley their little girl may pull through. However, just the next day, Aliza was declared brain and passed away.

Neonatal herpes is fatal to newborns.