Genital Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 in Women: Detection in Cervicovaginal Specimens from Gynecological Practices in the United States

• Published in: Journal of Clinical Microbiology Vol. 48; no. 1; pp. 150 - 153
• Main Authors: Peña, Kristen C, Adelson, Martin E, Mordechai, Eli, Blaho, John A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for Microbiology 01.01.2010; American Society for Microbiology (ASM)
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Cervix Uteri - virology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Herpes Genitalis - epidemiology; Herpes Genitalis - virology; Herpes simplex virus 1; Herpes simplex virus 2; Herpesvirus 1, Human - genetics; Herpesvirus 1, Human - isolation & purification; Herpesvirus 2, Human - genetics; Herpesvirus 2, Human - isolation & purification; Humans; Microbiology; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Prevalence; United States - epidemiology; Vagina - virology; Virology; Young Adult; United States; North America; America; Infection; Virus; Human; Sexually transmitted disease; Herpesviridae; Viral disease; Alphaherpesvirinae; Female; Human herpesvirus 1; Detection; Genital herpes; Genital diseases
• ISSN: 0095-1137; 1098-660X
• DOI: 10.1128/JCM.01336-09

Herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and -2) are significant human pathogens causing clinically indistinguishable facial and genital lesions. Recently, the number of reported genital herpes cases caused by type 1 virus has increased. Identifying the HSV type is of clinical importance to determine proper treatment, as there is no licensed vaccine or cure. We assessed, by PCR, the frequency of HSV-1 and HSV-2 present in more than 60,000 clinical cervicovaginal specimens derived from samples originating from 43 continental U.S. states. Fourteen percent were positive for HSV-1 and/or HSV-2. This likely represents subclinal shedding. It was not a measurement of the prevalence of HSV infection. While the majority were HSV-2, 32% were HSV-1. The distribution of HSV types varied between the states with the largest number of specimens, New Jersey, Florida, and Texas. Specimens from women under the age of 24 had an HSV-1 positivity rate of 47 percent. Importantly, in New Jersey, an observed age effect was the disproportionately high prevalence of genital HSV-1 in young women. This represents the largest analysis of HSV types reported and has important public health implications, particularly for younger women.