Asymptomatic virus shedding in men with genital herpes infection

13 men with a history of recurrent genital herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection were followed daily for 4 weeks with samples taken from the urethra for virus isolation. Asymptomatic virus shedding occurred in 5 men who had 1 single positive isolation each. Four of these urethral isolates were typed as HSV-1 and 1 as HSV-2.