The Herpes virus affects over 3.7 billion people below 50 years of age, constituting about 67 percent of the global population that falls within the age range, according to a new study from the World Health Organization (WHO). The agency announced Wednesday in a press release that these people are infected specifically with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1).
HSV-1 is primarily transmitted through oral contact. It is highly infectious and causes "cold sores," called orolabial herpes, around the mouth. In contrast, the herpes simplex virus type 2, or HSV-2, is a sexually transmitted disease and causes genital herpes.
However, HSV-1 can also cause genital herpes. In some countries in Europe, the Americas and Western Pacific, HSV-1 caused genital herpes in about 140 million people from 15 to 49 years old.
"We really need to accelerate the development of vaccines against herpes simplex virus, and if a vaccine designed to prevent HSV-2 infection also prevented HSV-1, it would have far-reaching benefits," WHO medical officer Sami Gottlieb told The Guardian.
There are fewer cases of HSV-1 infection in richer countries, primarily because of better hygiene and better living conditions, but young people still face the risk of contracting it when they become sexually active. WHO estimated as of January 2015 that more than half a billion people from 15 to 49 years old all over the world suffer from genital infection from either HSV-1 or HSV-2.
"Access to education and information on both types of herpes and sexually transmitted infections is critical to protect young people's health before they become sexually active," Dr. Marleen Temmerman, Director of WHO's Department of Reproductive Health and Research, said in the press release.
Temmerman emphasized the need for countries to improve data collection not only for HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections, but also for other sexually transmitted diseases.
As of now, herpes has no cure yet. Sometimes the disease does not show any symptom, and other times it only shows mild symptoms. The best way to detect it is by checking for the presence of antibodies for HSV-1 and HSV-2 through a blood test.
"The global burden of HSV-1 infection is huge. Genital HSV-1 burden can be substantial but varies widely by region. Future control efforts, including development of HSV vaccines, should consider the epidemiology of HSV-1 in addition to HSV-2, and especially the relative contribution of HSV-1 to genital infection," the study authors wrote.
The study was published in the Oct. 28 issue of the journal PLOS One.
