Seroprevalence and seroincidence of herpes simplex virus type 1 and herpes simplex virus type 2 infections in a cohort of adolescents in Italy

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to improve the knowledge on the epidemiology of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) in Italy. GOAL: The goal of this study was to study the seroincidence and seroprevalence of HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections among Italian adolescents. STUDY: We conducted a retrospective longitudinal study among 345 Italian adolescents tested for anti-HSV-1 and anti-HSV-2 on samples collected at 11 and 17 years of age. RESULTS: At 11 years of age, the HSV-1 prevalence was 51.6% and the HSV-2 prevalence was 2.6%; when 17 years old, these rates increased to 61.4% and 4.9%, respectively. The HSV-1 incidence was 1.6 per 100 person-years and was higher among females. The HSV-2 incidence was 0.4 per 100 person-years with no gender differences. CONCLUSION: HSV-1 is apparently widespread among Italian adolescents, whereas HSV-2 is limited. These data are of paramount importance when considering that HSV-1 can cause genital herpes and that HSV-2 plays a role in HIV transmission.