Can someone please explain this to me - herpes virus and breastfeeding?

[belgo]

very sad story (and unusual story)of newborn baby dying from the herpes virus. I'm particulary interested in this paragraph:
'The baby's mother, Ruth, 35, of Binyon Court, in Lancaster, transmitted the virus by kissing her or breastfeeding. '

How do they know it was the mother who transmitted the virus? And how can it be transmitted by breastfeeding?

telegraph sounds like the mother had the virus first

Kissing is more likely. HSV is v contagious from sores etc, but isn't ususally a systemic infection. Herpes viruses can enter the milk, but unless she had a systemic infection I fail to see how this could have occurred.

Very sad .

I was told if you are a carrier and you BF the baby aquires immunity during PG and then from BF ?

Apparently it was the first time the mother had come into contact with the simplex virus so the baby had no natural immunity

Don't quote me but its what i heard and have been told.. i get coldsores when stressed thanks to my coldsore ridden ExP grrrrr

Kids don't get them and i have always kissed them unless i have a 'live one' in which case i can't even pucker up anyway cos mine get MAHOOSIVE boohoo
A very sad story though the baby was only 11 days old ..... No mother should lose a child but especially to something so simple and easily treated

I remember expat posting on a thread about this when the case first came up (at an earlier stage of the legal process) saying she'd had to tell a junior doc with a massive cold sore to get the hell away from a newborn mini-expat.

I wouldn't have had a clue it was a problem before this hit the news, tbh.

If you have a sore actually on your breast/nipple then a young baby could be at risk. It doesn't actually transmit through the milk from what I've read.
Kissing is far more likely to be the issue than a sore on the breast.