Welcome to Adobe GoLive 4

Another strain of herpes simplex, herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) is transmitted sexually and infects genital tissue causing genital herpes. Transmission can occur even when no lesions are present. Approximately 10-20% of the United States population shows seropositivity to HSV-2, but this percentage is higher in young sexually-active adults.

HSV-2 infection is characterized by lesions found on the genitals that can be extremely painful arising after a 3-7 day incubation period. Symptoms also include immune response symptoms such as fever, swollen lymph nodes, headache, and malaise. HSV-2 lesions can take up to two weeks to heal, when the virus travels up the sensory nerve and establishes latency in dorsal root ganglion neurons. Like HSV-1, HSV-2 can cause recurrent infection characterized by genital cold sores. The same co-factors trigger these reactivations.

Complications of HSV-2 can include aseptic meningitis or encephalitis. Also, infected mothers can transmit their infection to their infants during delivery and give rise to neonatal disseminated herpes or encephalitis. If lesions are present, Cesarean section is recommended to avoid neonatal infection.

As far as treatment is concerned, topical acyclovir can be used to treat severe or early lesions, and intravenously taken acyclovir is effective if there are systemic complications.

Prevention can be attained by safe sexual practices such as using condoms or being tested before sex in monogamous relationships.

Herpes Simplex Virus 2 is thought by some to be associated with cervical cancer. However, attempts to prove a strong correlation have not be overwhelmingly successful. Since papillomavirus has been implicated in cervical cancer, there may be difficult confounds to these studies. Perhaps women which genital warts (which can cause cervical cancer) are participating in high risk behavior that could also result in infection with HSV-2. Ideally studies should be performed in women seropositive for HSV-2 and seronegative for papillomavirus, but in practice this is difficult because both viruses are so ubiquitous.