Herpes Testing

Physicians typically administer a blood test or take a culture of the lesion to test for herpes.

CULTURE TEST

The procedure for taking a culture involves swabbing the lesion, placing the swab in a special solution, and sending it to a laboratory for evaluation.

While it is possible to identify a herpes lesion by its physical appearance, taking a culture provides proof of accurate diagnosis and also identifies the specific type of HSV. It is important to know whether a patient has HSV-1 or HSV-2, because then it is easier to determine the scope of the virus and the frequency of episodes.

There are disadvantages to taking cultures. If the lesion begins to heal (usually 48 hours after its appearance), there may not be enough of the virus to test and a "false negative" will occur. (It is very uncommon for a viral culture to return false positive results.)

BLOOD TEST

A physician may choose to administer a blood (serology) test to confirm a negative culture or to diagnose herpes in an asymptomatic person, or a person whose been exposed to the virus by an infected partner. Type-specific serology tests are becoming more widely available because they can aid in the confirmation of a visual diagnosis and identify instances where symptoms are absent or questionable.

Many new tests were produced in 2001, but they are unavailable in some countries. One such test is the HerpeSelect®; type-specific HSV antibody detection test. This test kit takes a blood sample from the patient's arm and sending the sample to a laboratory for evaluation. These tests are specific, but in some cases, they may yield false positives or false negatives.

Detection of the HSV virus varies due to the time it takes the body to produce HSV-specific antibodies varies as well as the type of test used. Therefore, tests should be performed and evaluated by a specialist.

It is not practical to perform type-specific HSV tests for general routine screenings. Here are some cases where it may be advisable:

* If an individual has recurring genital symptoms accompanied by continual negative cultures.

* If a sexual partner has HSV-2.

Especially if pregnancy is an issue, to make sure that proper precautions are taken to protect the mother and newborn. Refer to the web site’s Herpes Simplex and Pregnancy section for more details on this subject.

An accurate diagnosis is key because herpes treatment, as with any STD treatment, varies from person to person.

While a serology test can indicate an HSV infection in the absence of symptoms, it is still necessary to confirm these findings. If the type-specific serology test indicates HSV-2, there is a higher chance of genital herpes, however it is not definite. The physician may choose to administer a culture the next time you experience signs of HSV-2 to be certain.

If you would like a serology test, here are some issues you and your physician should discuss.

·Ask your physician if the test s/he will use detects either HSV 1 and HSV 2 antibodies, or only HSV 2. If the serology test only detects HSV 2 antibodies, it is still possible to have genital herpes as a result of HSV-1 even if the results are negative.

·Since it is possible to receive false negative and false positive results, the physician must evaluate results paying close attention to the specific clinical case and the patient’s specific condition—not relying too heavily on generalizations.

·Depending on which test is administered, keep in mind that there is a 2-week to 6-month window after initial contraction of herpes for the body’s production of antibodies to take place.

·If upon being tested, only HSV-1 antibodies are indicated, further discussion with your physician is suggested. This may be a result of past exposure to oral cold sores or herpes whitlow.