UW researchers report in the March 23 New England Journal of Medicine that rates of subclinical shedding of herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2 are nearly the same among people who are asymptomatic and those with recognized genital herpes.
In a study led by Anna Wald, assistant professor of medicine and epidemiology and director of the UW Virology Research Clinic, researchers compared patterns of viral shedding among 53 subjects who had HSV-2 antibodies, but who did not have a history of genital herpes, to patterns among 90 people with symptomatic HSV-2 infection. The daily frequency of HSV secretions was about the same for both groups. The study found that subclinical shedding rates of HSV among men approximate those among women.
An estimated 25 percent of adults in the United States are infected with HSV. Preventing the spread of HSV to newborns and sexual partners will require identification and control of infection in people with subclinical infection, the researchers conclude. They note that commercial assays for detecting HSV have been developed and marketed.
March 24, 2000