title: Ocular shedding of herpes simplex virus.
abstract: The presence, frequency, and relationship of ocular and oral shedding of herpes simplex virus to previous herpes keratitis was investigated. This was to determine if a history of herpes keratitis predisposes to shedding of the herpes simplex virus into the tear film and/or mouth. Swabs were collected from the eyes and mouth of two groups of patients thrice weekly over a two- to four-month period. Group A comprised nine patients with a history of herpes labialis, group B 15 patients with a history of herpes keratitis. Herpes simplex virus type 1 was isolated from 1.33% of mouth specimens but was not identified in any of the ocular specimens. There was no significant difference between groups A and B in terms of ocular or oral shedding. Oral shedding appears to be independent of a previous herpes keratitis. The tear film is an unlikely source of virus in persons either with no history of herpes keratitis or between attacks in those patients with a history of previous herpes keratitis.
authors.affiliation: St Paul's Eye Hospital, Liverpool.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Kaye
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Madan
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Dowd
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patterson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006560:Herpes Labialis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007635:Keratitis, Dendritic / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013666:Tears / Q000382:microbiology*