Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Types 1 and 2, NAA

Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Types 1 and 2, NAA is used to confirm HSV infection and determine type when viral shedding is present, aiding evaluation of oral, cutaneous, and anogenital disease. The test supports assessment of suspected genital herpes in women and men, risk-based testing during pregnancy, and documentation of therapeutic response when molecular evidence of shedding is required. Common synonyms include HSV DNA PCR and HHV-1/HHV-2 nucleic acid testing.

Real-time PCR identifies HSV DNA at low copy numbers and is independent of the timing of seroconversion. HSV-1 most often involves oral and perioral sites, whereas HSV-2 more commonly affects the anogenital region; either type can infect either location, and transmission may occur with or without visible lesions. Primary infection typically presents with painful vesicles and systemic symptoms, after which latency is established with potential reactivation triggered by stress or immunosuppression. A negative HSV nucleic acid amplification result indicates no detectable shedding at the time of collection but does not exclude prior infection. Severe disease can occur in neonates and in immunocompromised individuals; antiviral therapy suppresses replication and shortens the acute illness but does not eradicate latent virus.