HSV-2 Common in Switzerland - New Findings from a Population Study

(12 Dec 2002)

A study aiming to estimate the prevalence rates of herpes simplex virus in the Swiss general population in the Vaud, Fribourg and Ticino counties was reported at the 42nd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) in San Diego, in September 2002.

The researchers randomly selected participants from the general population who were tested for HSV. Overall, the prevalence was 80.5% for HSV-1 (which usually causes facial herpes) and 18.9% for HSV-2 (which usually causes genital herpes). HSV-1 prevalence was comparable in men and women and increased significantly with age and lower socio-economic status.

However, it was found that HSV-2 prevalence varied significantly with females being 26% more likely to be infected than males. Participants over the age of 45 were more likely to have HSV-2 compared to those under 34. In terms of marital status, those divorced/separated or widowed participants were nearly twice as likely to have the infection compared to married (or single) participants. One interesting finding was that, in terms of level of education, those participants with a professional school degree or university degree were 74% more likely to show HSV-2 infection compared to those participants who had completed only a mandatory school education. The researchers also noted that HSV-1 seropositivity was associated with a decreased rate of HSV-2 seropositivity, particularly in females.

Previously, the prevalence of HSV-2 in Europe was thought to be relatively low, however, the researchers on this trial concluded that HSV-2 prevalence in the Swiss adult population is similar to the US., although with an opposite relationship between educational level and HSV-2 prevalence especially in Swiss women compared to the U.S. The researchers also concluded that their findings support the hypothesis that HSV-1 infection is partly protective against HSV-2 infection