EVIDENCE OF LATENCY AND REACTIVATION OF BOTH HERPES-SIMPLEX VIRUS (HSV)-1 AND HSV-2 IN THE GENITAL REGION

While superinfection with different herpes simplex virus (HSV) types h as been demonstrated in animals, the ability of the two HSV types to c olonize and reactivate in the same anatomic region in humans has not b een well demonstrated. In 6 patients, both HSV-1 and HSV-2. was recove red from genital lesions. In 4 of them, who initially acquired genital HSV-1 infection, subsequent HSV-2 infection presented as a prolonged episode of genital lesions and a marked increase in the frequency of g enital recurrences. While most of the subsequent clinical reactivation s were HSV-2, in 2 patients the recurrence rate of genital HSV-1 incre ased after the acquisition of HSV-2. These data demonstrate the abilit y of a second HSV type to infect the same anatomic region and illustra te the difference in reactivation frequency of the two types in the sa me person. Typing of HSV isolates may be useful in persons with recent alteration in recurrence rates of genital HSV.