More adolescents susceptible to HSV-1 infection

Fewer teens are being exposed to herpes simplex virus type 1 during childhood, putting them at greater risk for genital infections caused by the virus, especially through oral sex, according to recent study findings published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

The study included data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to analyze the seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simples virus type 2 (HSV-2) in people aged 14 to 49 years from 1999 to 2004 and 2005 to 2010.

David W. Kimberlin

Researchers found an overall HSV-1 seroprevalence of 53.9% from 2005 to 2010. HSV-1 seroprevalence among teenagers aged 14 to 19 years declined from 39% in 1999 to 2004 to 30.1% in 2005 to 2010 (P<.01). This age group accounted for the largest decline in HSV-1 seroprevalence.

“HSV-1 epidemiology is rapidly changing, and these changes are important to monitor for several reasons,” the researchers wrote. “First, in the absence of declines in HSV-2, the decline in childhood-acquired orolabial HSV-1 is likely to impact the prevalence of genital herpes. Declines in early childhood acquisition of HSV-1 means more young people are susceptible to HSV-1 infection, and symptomatic HSV-2 disease is more likely among persons lacking HSV-1 antibodies. Additionally, a population-level shift toward later acquisition of HSV-1 infection may inform HSV vaccine development and delivery strategies, such as optimal vaccine timing.”

In an accompanying editorial, David W. Kimberlin, MD, of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said the decrease of adolescents who have already had oral HSV-1 infections are making them more susceptible to genital infections.

“This produces the perfect storm of serosusceptible adolescents engaging in sexual behavior that increases the likelihood that their first exposure to HSV-1 will be on their genitalia, and, thus, that they will develop HSV-1 genital herpes.”

For more information:

Bradley H. J Infect Dis. 2013;doi:10.1093/infdis/jit458.

Kimberlin DK. J Infect Dis. 2013;doi:10.1093/infdis/jit459.

Disclosure: The study was funded in part by the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, and the National Center for Health Statistics, CDC. The editorial was funded in part by the Virology Branch, Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.