Changing trends in genital herpes simplex virus infection in Bergen, Norway

Aim of study. To document the proportion of each herpes simplex virus (HSV) type in genital HSV infection and changes over time during a 10 year period. Design. Retrospective comparative study in sexually transmitted disease (STD) patients with genital HSV infection at the outpatient clinic for STD, Haukeland Hospital, Bergen, Norway. Results. HSV-2 was the major cause during the 80's, whereas HSV-1 constitutes a greater part of the cases during the 90's, especially in female patients and in the younger age groups with primary or initial disease, where HSV-I is the causative viral type in up to 70-90% of the cases. Conclusion. The documented change from HSV-2 towards HSV-1 in cases of genital HSV infection may have implications as to prognosis, future usefulness of vaccines, present and future usefulness of new type-specific serological tests.