Genital herpes

Written by Luo Hong

Dermatology Department

48sec

Is genital herpes serology accurate?

Serological testing for genital herpes in hospitals generally provides testing for type 1 and type 2 viruses, including IgM and IgG. Over 90% of genital herpes cases are primarily caused by type 2 virus, so the focus is typically on type 2 virus IgG and IgM. However, IgM represents an active infection, meaning a current infection stage. If IgM is negative and IgG is positive, it indicates a past infection. These results are generally accurate, but their timeliness is not as high as DNA's timeliness. Therefore, if possible, it is best to collect vesicle fluid on the first or second day of a herpes outbreak and use PCR to test the DNA for the most accurate results.