Primary herpetic oropharyngitis in adults: Differences in clinical features between Herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2. A retrospective study

This is the first report on the differences between adult primary herpetic oropharyngitis caused by the two types of the herpes simplex virus (HSV). Forty-one (25 type 1 and 16 type 2) HSV specific antigen positive cases among 68 immunoserologically confirmed adult primary HSV infection cases were investigated. A significantly low incidence of oral lesions and high incidence of nausea were seen in HSV type 2 oropharyngitis cases, which potentially indicates an association between the vagus nerve and HSV type 2 infection. Significantly increased white blood cell count and elevated C-reactive protein level were observed in HSV type 2 oropharyngitis cases. HSV type 2 possibly causes more severe symptoms and inflammatory reactions than HSV type 1.