Seroepidemiology of herpes simplex virus type 1 in Yanji, Jilin, China

Sera from 158 individuals in Yanji, Jilin, China, were tested for antibodies to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) by the passive hemagglutination method. Age-specific incidence rates for antibodies to HSV-1 were calculated. For sera from persons in the age group 10 years or less, the positive rate was 54% but in the age group higher than 10 years, it was more than 91% (P less than 0.01). In the part of China surveyed, primary HSV-1 infection occurred in early generation before about age 10. In children, the positive rate in the Han race was significantly higher than that in the Korean race (P less than 0.05).