Articles Vol. 67 No. CĐ4-HN Ký sinh trùng-HN Hóa sinh 2026 14/04/2026

ISOLATION OF HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS (HSV) FROM VESICULAR LESIONS

Nguyen Van Duc1,2, Tran Minh Chau1,2, Nguyen Thanh Nam3,4, Nguyen Thi Thuong5,6
1 Hanoi Medical University
2 Trường Đại học Y Hà Nội
3 Central Dermatology Hospital
4 Bệnh viện Da liễu Trung ương
5 Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology
6 Viện Vệ sinh dịch tễ Trung ương
DOI: 10.52163/yhc.v67iCD4.4817
17 Views
12 Downloads
Keywords
HSV, isolation, vesicle, Vero, ACV
Abstract

Objective: To isolate HSV from clinical samples of vesicular lesions on Vero cells.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on vesicular lesions suspected by HSV.

Results: Twenty strains of HSV (HSV-1 and HSV-2) were isolated on African green monkey kidney cells (Vero) from 37 clinical samples of facial and genital vesicular lesions suspected by HSV (54,1%). Among these, 90% of the strains were isolated from facial herpes. The positivity rate in the group that had not used specific antiviral drugs before sample collection was higher than that had used, although this difference was not statistically significant. The positivity rates also showed no significant difference between males and females. The study obtained 12 strains from patients who had not used specific any antiviral drugs (naiive), which could be used for identification of genetic polymorphisms of HSV strains circulating in Vietnam.

Conclusion: In this study, a relatively high positivity rate (54.1%) was observed when isolating HSV on Vero cells from vesicular skin lesions. Isolated virus strains can be submitted for phenotypic testing of determination of susceptibility of HSV to antiviral drugs and evaluation of the efficacy of new antiviral drugs.

References
[1]
Looker KJ, Johnston C, Welton NJ, James C, Vickerman P, Turner KME, et al. The global and regional burden of genital ulcer disease due to herpes simplex virus: a natural history modelling study. BMJ Glob Health. 2020;5(3):e001875. Google Scholar
[2]
de Oliveira Bonfim FF, Villar LM, Croda J, Pereira JG, Guimarães ACS, da Silva SR, et al. High silent prevalence of human herpesvirus 1 (HSV-1) infection affecting the indigenous reservation of the municipality of Dourados, Central-West Brazil. BMC Infect Dis. 2024 July 17;24(1):700. Google Scholar
[3]
Coyle PV, Desai A, Wyatt D, McCaughey C, O’Neill HJ. A comparison of virus isolation, indirect immunofluorescence and nested multiplex polymerase chain reaction for the diagnosis of primary and recurrent herpes simplex type 1 and type 2 infections. J Virol Methods. 1999 Dec;83(1–2):75–82. Google Scholar
[4]
Nag S, Sengupta M, Sarkar S, Ray Y, Chattopadhyay D, Sengupta M. Isolation, characterization and acyclovir susceptibility of herpes simplex virus isolates among immunocompromised patients. Indian J Sex Transm Dis AIDS. 2021;42(1):19–23. Google Scholar
[5]
Harfouche M, AlMukdad S, Alareeki A, Osman AMM, Gottlieb S, Rowley J, et al. Estimated global and regional incidence and prevalence of herpes simplex virus infections and genital ulcer disease in 2020: mathematical modelling analyses. Sex Transm Infect. 2025 May 19;101(4):214–23. Google Scholar
[6]
Field HJ, Bell SE, Elion GB, Nash AA, Wildy P. Effect of acycloguanosine treatment of acute and latent herpes simplex infections in mice. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1979 Apr;15(4):554–61. Google Scholar
[7]
Lewis ME, Warren KG, Jeffrey VM, Tyrrell DL. Effects of prolonged cultivation in the presence of acyclovir on recovery of latent herpes simplex virus from human trigeminal ganglia. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1983 Mar;23(3):487–9. Google Scholar