Persistence of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 in infected individuals

During a 23-month period, 18 patients with facial or genital herpetic lesions were examined; culture specimens from each patient were obtained three times per week for virologic studies. The isolated viruses were identified, and the average duration of herpesvirus in lesions was determined. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) was isolated from facial lesions for a mean duration of 3 1/2 days. In contrast, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) was isolated from genital lesions for a mean duration of 5 1/2 days. The duration of viral persistence in lesions of patients with mild primary infection did not seem to differ from that in patients with recurrent infection.