Abstract
Host factors responsible for the marked person to person variability in the clinical course of initial and recurrent genital HSV-2 infection are undefined. We utilized a guinea pig model to investigate the influence of age on initial and recurrent genital herpes. Weanling (<200 g) and adult (>350 g) female Hartley guinea pigs were intravaginally inoculated with 5.7 log10 PFU HSV-2, MS strain. During the initial infection animals were scored for genital skin disese, urinary retention, hindlimb paralysis and death. In addition, vaginal HSV-2 replication was determined by plaque titration of vaginal swab samples. Following recovery from initial infection, the animals were examined daily for at least 6 weeks to determine the frequency and severity of clinically apparent recurrent genital herpetic lesions. The virologic course of initial genital infection was similar in weanling and adult animals as was the incidence of urinary retention (90%) and mortality (40%). However, weanling animals had earlier onset and a more severe course of genital skin disease as well as a higher incidence of hindlimb paralysis (60%) than adult guinea pigs (10%) (p <.05). Despite evidence of more severe initial infection in weanling guinea pigs, the frequency and severity of recurrent infection was similar for both age groups. This study indicates that the clinical manifestations of genital HSV infection may be influenced by age and suggests that further examination of endocrinologic and immunologic differences between young and old animals may permit definition of host factors important in the clinical expression of HSV-2 disease.
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Stanberry, L., Bernstein, D. & Myers, M. 1166 INFLUENCE OF AGE ON INITIAL AND RECURENT GENITAL HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS TYPE 2 (HSV-2) INFECTION OF GUINEA PIGS. Pediatr Res 19, 305 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-01196
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198504000-01196