A young girl was covered in cold sores which caused a dangerous fever after an adult with the herpes virus kissed her on the mouth, her mum claims.

Leah Green said she had a ‘horrific three weeks’ caring for 21-month-old Sadie after she caught the herpes virus and broke out in painful cold sores, also called fever blisters, which would frequently bleed.

The new mum spoke out about the ordeal on Thursday, warning parents ‘not to let people kiss their babies’.

She said: ‘Listen and learn from my first-hand experience why you shouldn’t kiss babies/kids, especially if they aren’t yours! She got two small spots on her lip then spiked a temp of 39°C.

‘Within hours the spots were spreading across her face and white spots formed in her mouth, which turned into this awful pus-like stuff that was especially behind her teeth. 

‘The slightest touch would make the spots bleed and she would scream in agony. This meant she couldn’t eat or drink resulting in weight loss and dehydration.

‘She was absolutely miserable and stuck to my hip for four days straight! Just attempting to put her down made her scream!’ 

Leah went on: ‘Being first-time parents and seeing your child in so much pain was horrific. It was a very very long three weeks so I hope I can help people by spreading awareness!

‘Please please please DON’T kiss or let anyone kiss your babies. Doesn’t matter who they are or if you think they will be offended. Hurt their feelings and keep your babies safe!’

Cold sores are small, fluid-filled blisters which appear on a person’s skin once they have been infected with the herpes simplex virus.

Most get exposed to the highly contagious virus when they are young – through close contact – but do not suffer from symptoms until they are older. Some people live with the virus without ever breaking out.

Once you have been infected, you have the virus for the rest of your life.

Cold sores feel irritating, itchy and painful and can cause fevers, but they usually go away in about 10 days without any serious consequences.

But they can be very dangerous for babies who have not developed an effective immune system.

When newborns get exposed to the virus, it is called neonatal herpes – this can kill babies but it is extremely rare in the UK.

The NHS says: ‘A baby is most at risk of getting a herpes infection in the first four weeks after birth.

‘You should not kiss a baby if you have a cold sore to reduce the risk of spreading infection.’

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