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. 2003 Mar;14(2):94-6.
doi: 10.1155/2003/168673.

Predominance of herpes simplex virus type 1 from patients with genital herpes in Nova Scotia

Kevin R Forward  1 , Spencer Hs Lee
Affiliations

Predominance of herpes simplex virus type 1 from patients with genital herpes in Nova Scotia

Kevin R Forward et al. Can J Infect Dis. 2003 Mar.

Abstract

The epidemiology of genital herpes is changing with evidence to suggest an increasing incidence of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infections. The results of 6529 HSV genital cultures taken between April 1998 and December 2001 were reviewed. overall, HSV-1 was recovered more often than HSV-2; 1213 versus 1045. This trend was particularly striking in young women 30 years of age or less, in whom 70.8% of isolates were HSV-1. In men of the same age range, 45% of isolates were HSV-1. The proportion of women with HSV-1 declined from 73.7% in those younger than 31 years of age to 4.5% in those older than 60 years of age.These observations have important implications. The decline in the relative proportion of HSV-1 isolates from young adults may be the result of changing sexual practices, changing susceptibility or increased exposure to HSV-1 during vaginal intercourse. In this setting HSV-2 vaccines may be less likely to produce the desired reduction in the overall prevalence of genital herpes infections.

Keywords: Genital herpes; Herpes simplex virus type-1.

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