A sero-epidemiological study of herpes virus type 1 and 2 infection in Israel

In order to obtain data on the prevalence and incidence of herpes virus type 2 (HSV 2) infection in selected populations of women and to identify groups that might benefit from routine prenatal screening, an epidemiological study was conducted during the period 1984–1990, which showed HSV 2 seroprevalence to be 2.8%. Due to the worldwide increase of over 30% of HSV 2 infection in the past two decades, a second study was performed during the period 1 January 1998–31 December 1999. Four different population groups were studied: 172 children aged 6 months to 17 years (group 1), 716 adults, men and women aged 18–95 (group 2), 200 women aged 30–67 who participated in the first survey and were re-examined in 1999 in the second survey (group 3), and a prevalence group of 155 parturient women from six different delivery rooms (group 4). Among the healthy 716 males and females HSV 2 seroprevalence was 4.5%. When analyzed by subgroup, HSV 2 seroprevalence rose from 2.3% in the 18–30 years subgroup to 6.5% in the 30–50 years subgroup and to 7.3% in the 51–70 years subgroup, and then declined to 2.4% after age 70 years. In the 200 women re-examined, HSV 2 seroprevalence was 7.7% with a 0.55% HSV 2 sero incidence per annum. In the prevalence group HSV 2 seroprevalence was 4.5%. Sera from the 1223 participants of all four groups were also screened for HSV 1 infection. HSV 1 antibody was present in 22% of children aged 6 months–1 year, in 60% at 21 years and in 87% at age 70 years. The data support the conclusion that in Israel there is no justification for routine prenatal HSV 2 screening in the healthy female population.