A 12-year molecular survey of clinical herpes simplex virus type 2 isolates demonstrates the circulation of clade A and B strains in Germany.
BACKGROUND
Recently two different herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) clades (A and B) were described on DNA sequence data of the glycoprotein E (gE), G (gG) and I (gI) genes.


OBJECTIVE
To type the circulating HSV-2 wild-type strains in Germany by a novel approach and to monitor potential changes in the molecular epidemiology between 1997 and 2008.


METHODS
A total of 64 clinical HSV-2 isolates were analyzed by a novel approach using the DNA sequences of the complete open reading frames of glycoprotein B (gB) and gG. Recombination analysis of the gB and gG gene sequences was performed to reveal intragenic recombinants.


RESULTS
Based on the phylogenetic analysis of the gB coding DNA sequence 8 of 64 (12%) isolates were classified as clade A strains and 56 of 64 (88%) isolates were classified as clade B strains. Analysis of the gG coding DNA sequence classified 4 (6%) isolates as clade A strains and 60 (94%) isolates as clade B strains. In comparison, the 8 isolates classified as clade A strains using the gB sequence data were classified as clade B strains when using the gG coding DNA sequence, suggesting intergenic recombination events. Intragenic recombination events were not detected.


CONCLUSIONS
The first molecular survey of clinical HSV-2 isolates from Germany demonstrated the circulation of clade A and B strains and of intergenic recombinants over a period of 12 years.
Schmidt-Chanasit
Jonas
J
Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department of Virology, D-20359 Hamburg, Germany. jonassi@gmx.de
Bialonski
Alexandra
A
Heinemann
Patrick
P
Ulrich
Rainer G
RG
Günther
Stephan
S
Rabenau
Holger F
HF
Doerr
Hans Wilhelm
HW
D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics
D004279:DNA, Viral; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C044525:glycoprotein B, herpes simplex virus type 2; C045464:glycoprotein G, herpes simplex virus type 2