Herpes Simplex Infection During Pregnancy, Results of a Tertiary Referral Center in Turkey

Objective The present study aimed to determine herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection during pregnancy, serologic status of symptomatic patients, and the frequency of PCR and culture positivity and neonatal disease in an obstetric population. Materials and methods Sera of 1,690 women with genital lesions were tested for HSV IgM and/or HSV IgG between 2008 and 2017. All the patients were evaluated by PCR and viral culture to demonstrate genital herpes infection. Results The frequency of HSV IgG and IgM seropositivity was 73.8 % (1245/1685) and 28.6 % (484/1690). The number with a positive viral culture was 288, whereas positive PCR was 305. Five infants had localized skin lesions of HSV infection at the time of birth. Conclusion This study shows the serologic status, viral culture and PCR testing results of pregnant women who had a symptomatic genital HSV infection and efficacy of management strategies to prevent neonatal herpes infection.