Background: Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV2) is a sexually transmitted disease causing a lifelong persisting infection. Objective: To determine the seroprevalence of anti-HSV2-IgG in a German collective. We evaluate the German serological status, point out trends in the chronological spread of HSV2 infection, and position our findings in a global context. Methods: Serum samples from 29,694 patients at the University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, Germany, were screened for anti-HSV2-IgG using ELISA. We evaluated five defined groups containing patients from the departments of pediatrics (PED), gynecology (GYN), dermatology (DER), psychiatrics (PSY) and patients suffering from HIV/AIDS (HIV). Results: We retrospectively evaluated an overall seropositivity to anti-HSV2-IgG of 13.6% (95% CI 13.1–14.1), with a significantly higher level in females (15.9%, 95% CI 15.4–16.5) than in males (11.4%, 95% CI 10.9–11.9). The highest seroprevalence was detected in HIV (34.7%, 95% CI 30.3–39.3). The lowest rate was observed in PED (9.9%, 95% CI 9.4–10.6) with an estimated number of 18 infections at delivery between 1/1/2000 and 1/1/2011. Conclusions: HSV2 infections are widespread in Germany with a tremendous health risk for newborns. Therefore, the public’s perception of HSV2 should be strengthened and protected sexual intercourse should be propagated.

Keywords:
HSV2, Herpes genitalis, Seroepidemiology, HIV, Germany
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2012
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