Seroprevalence and determinants of herpes simplex type 2 infection in an STD clinic in Milan, Italy

A number of studies have shown that the seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV‐2) is higher among persons attending clinics for sexually transmitted diseases (STD) than among the general population. The HSV‐2 seroprevalence among STD patients, however, varies greatly among studies, possibly reflecting differences in the baseline prevalence of the infection among different general populations or in the distribution of risk factors. A cross‐sectional study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of and the risk factors for HSV‐2 infection among 776 HIV‐negative persons attending an STD clinic in Milan, Italy. All samples were tested with a commercial HSV type‐2 specific gG ELISA test. The HSV‐2 seroprevalence was 29.5% (95% CI: 26.3–32.7%). The seroprevalence increased with age, yet it did not differ by gender. Among persons with a current STD, the seroprevalence was 44.3%. At the multivariate analysis, older age was independently associated with HSV‐2 infection. A self‐reported history of genital herpes was predictive of HSV‐2 infection. The agreement between history of genital herpes and HSV‐2 seroprevalence was poor, however, stressing that in clinical practice, caution should be used in interpreting the presence or absence of a history of genital herpes as an indicator of the presence or absence of HSV‐2 infection. Our data show that HSV‐2 seroprevalence among persons attending an STD clinic in Italy is high; thus serological screening for HSV‐2 might be advisable for STD patients. J. Med Virol. 67:345–348, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.