The main sources of infection of genital herpes are patients with genital herpes and asymptomatic herpes simplex virus carriers.
1. Virus Carrying and Spreading
In adults with normal immunity, 2% to 3% can isolate HSV-2 from the urogenital tract, and 20% to 30% can detect herpes simplex virus DNA. Similar data can be obtained for oral secretions. These people are carriers of herpes simplex virus and are contagious. Genital herpes patients are also sources of infection for this disease, and their virus carrier rate is as high as 30% to 50% in the first year.
2. Patients with dominant herpes simplex virus
The average shedding time of primary genital HSV-2 infection is about 12 days, and the average time from the appearance of blisters to the beginning of the scab stage is about 10.5 days; because there is a significant overlap between the shedding time and the scab stage, and mucosal lesions do not form scabs, patients should not have sexual intercourse until the lesions are completely healed and re-epithelialized, because this period is the period of massive virus release.
