Seroprevalence of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2 at a Tertiary Care Centre of North India

Background: Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2) are common human pathogens. Most primary HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections are asymptomatic and self-limited, but can be complicated with fulminant diseases. Thus, this study has its own objective to determine the clinicoepidemiological profile of HSV (1 and 2) infections in the symptomatic patients whose blood samples were received at the department of Virology, Government medical college Amritsar. Methods: A total of 231 samples were included in our study from the month of August 2023 to August 2024. All the samples fulfilling the inclusion criteria were subjected for ELISA. Results: Out of 231 samples, 52 (22.51%) were HSV (1-2) IgM positive and 154 (66.66%) were HSV (1-2) IgG positive. Females (52.38%) were predominantly infected showing more positivity of HSV (1-2) than males (36.79%). Maximum number of cases (108) were from age group 21-40 years. Amongst this age group, 34 (65.38%) were positive for HSV (1-2) IgM and 74 (48.05%) for HSV (1-2) IgG. The patients presented with various complaints like genital lesions, orolabial lesions, redness, swelling, pain/itching, painful urination and vaginal discharge, headache, malaise, fever and muscle aches. Conclusion: The purpose of screening for HSV is not only to identify seropositivity, but to help seropositive people identify symptoms and protect themselves from acquiring further complications and to protect their partners and seronegative people from acquiring HSV.