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Background & objectives: A large proportion of individuals with serologic evidence of infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) are asymptomatic. HSV-2 is the main cause of genital herpes infections. The acquisition of genital herpes during pregnancy has been associated with spontaneous abortion, premature labour and congenital and neonatal herpes. The present study was undertaken to determine asymtomatic genital HSV-2 shedding and seroprevalence of HSV-2 infection among asymptomatic pregnant women at the time of delivery in Adana, Turkey.
Methods: Asymptomatic 130 pregnant women without a history of genital herpes were enrolled in the study. HSV-2 shedding was determined by viral culture of the swabs collected from cervix and vulva and HSV-2 antigen was detected by direct immunofluorescence assay (IFA), HSV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies were detected by HSV-2 type specific IgG and IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results: HSV-2 IgG and IgM antibodies were found in 82 (63.1%) and 18 (11.3%) of 130 pregnant women. HSV-2 type-specific antigen was detected in 22 (16.9%) pregnant women by IFA test, 17 (13.1%) of whom had HSV-2 IgM antibodies. HSV-2 was isolated only in 3 women.
Interpretation & conclusion: The seroprevalence of HSV-2 (63.1%) and genital HSV-2 infection (16.9%) was high among asymptomatic pregnant women in Adana, Turkey. Therefore, to reduce the risk of neonatal herpes, HSV-2 type-specific antibodies should be detected in pregnant women using serological tests that allow to identify women with asymptomatic or subclinical genital HSV-2 infection and those susceptible to primary genital HSV-2 infection.
Key words Cell culture - ELISA - genital herpes - herpes simplex virus type 2 - IFA - pregnant women - seroprevalence
Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is the major cause of genital herpes; 78-97 per cent of HSV-2 infections are asymptomatic1-3. Unrecognized virus shedding from the mother's genital tract may have occurred at the time of delivery in as many as 70 per cent of cases of neonatal herpes3,5.
The worldwide prevalence of HSV-2 seropositivity is alarmingly high6, especially among women of reproductive age group. Antibodies to HSV-2 have been detected in approximately 20 per cent of pregnant women; however, only 5 per cent reported a history of symptomatic infection. Primary genital HSV infections during pregnancy occur at rates similar to those in non pregnant...