SEROPREVALENCE OF HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE-1 AND TYPE-2 AND CYTOMEGALOVIRUS IN ADOLESCENTS

We determined the prevalence of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and cytomeg alovirus (CMV) antibodies in a cohort of adolescents 12 to 22 years of age in anticipation of the development of vaccines to control HSV and CMV infections. For the overall study population, we found that 62% w ere seropositive for HSV type 1 (HSV-1), 12% were seropositive for HSV type 2 (HSV-2), and 65% were seropositive for CMV. Race was not relat ed to HSV-1 seropositivity, but African-American adolescents were more likely than Caucasian adolescents to be seropositive for HSV-2 and CM V. Girls also were more likely than boys to be seropositive for HSV-2 and CMV. For boys, history of a sexually transmitted disease was ident ified as a risk factor for HSV-2 seropositivity; for girls, a greater number of sexual partners increased the risk of being seropositive for HSV-2. Our data demonstrating a high prevalence of infection during a dolescence suggest that immunization for HSV-1, HSV-2, and CMV may nee d to occur in childhood.