Herpes Simplex - Epidemiology

Epidemiology

Worldwide rates of HSV infection are between 65% and 90%. HSV1 is more common than HSV2 with rates of both increasing as people age. Rates of infection are determined by the presence of antibodies against either viral species.

An estimated 536 million people worldwide were infected with HSV-2 in 2003, with the highest rates in sub-Saharan Africa and the lowest rates in western Europe.

In the US, 57.7% of the population is infected with HSV-1 and 16.2% are infected with HSV-2. Among those HSV-2 seropositive, only 18.9% were aware that they were infected. During 2005–2008, the prevalence of HSV-2 was 39.2% in blacks and 20.9% in women.