Unmasking of latent herpesvirus infection

Abstract

Cervical specimens were collected from 116 pregnant women during 2 trimesters of pregnancy and from 12 non-pregnant women in attempts to isolate Herpesvirus hominis type II. None of these women had detectable herpetic lesions. Virus was recorded from 9 pregnant women and 2 from non-pregnant women. These results indicate that a larger number of women may be shedding the virus asymptomatically. Serological correlation was made by the IHA test. The IHA titers increased significantly only in those women from whom virus was isolated, but a moderate increase in titer was noted in a number of the women from whom virus could not be detected. The reason for this increase is not known.