title: Prevalence of herpes simplex virus type 2 in different risk groups: thirty years after the onset of HIV.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2) is a sexually transmitted disease causing a lifelong persisting infection.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the seroprevalence of anti-HSV2-IgG in a German collective. We evaluate the German serological status, point out trends in the chronological spread of HSV2 infection, and position our findings in a global context.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum samples from 29,694 patients at the University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, Germany, were screened for anti-HSV2-IgG using ELISA. We evaluated five defined groups containing patients from the departments of pediatrics (PED), gynecology (GYN), dermatology (DER), psychiatrics (PSY) and patients suffering from HIV/AIDS (HIV).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We retrospectively evaluated an overall seropositivity to anti-HSV2-IgG of 13.6% (95% CI 13.1-14.1), with a significantly higher level in females (15.9%, 95% CI 15.4-16.5) than in males (11.4%, 95% CI 10.9-11.9). The highest seroprevalence was detected in HIV (34.7%, 95% CI 30.3-39.3). The lowest rate was observed in PED (9.9%, 95% CI 9.4-10.6) with an estimated number of 18 infections at delivery between 1/1/2000 and 1/1/2011.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HSV2 infections are widespread in Germany with a tremendous health risk for newborns. Therefore, the public's perception of HSV2 should be strengthened and protected sexual intercourse should be propagated.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. claudia.reinheimer@kgu.de
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reinheimer
authors.forename: Hans W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Doerr
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006679:HIV Seropositivity; D006558:Herpes Genitalis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018258:Herpesvirus 2, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral