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Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Ex Vivo Infection of Murine Epidermis with Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1
Published on: August 24, 2015
Age-specific prevalence of herpes simplex viruses in Melbourne
James Knox1, Craig Redden, Bernard Walton
1Melbourne Pathology, Collingwood, Australia. jaknox2@yahoo.com.au
Aims:
To characterise the epidemiology of anogenital herpes in Melbourne by detailing the age-specific prevalence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1 and HSV 2.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study of 2055 anogenital specimens assayed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HSV 1 and 2 at Melbourne Pathology from 1 August 2004 to 11 May 2005 was conducted. Results were analysed by age and sex.
Results:
PCR demonstrated HSV 1 in 44.1% of all anogenital herpes cases. The relative prevalence of HSV 1 decreased as a function of increasing age. In patients under the age of 20, 18.2% of cases of anogenital herpes were due to HSV 2, as compared with 84.6% in patients over the age of 50.
Conclusions:
In this study population a clear relationship is seen between age and relative frequency of HSV 1 and 2 as a cause of anogenital herpes. HSV 2 accounts for only a small proportion of infections in younger patients.
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