Developments in STD/HIV interactions: the intertwining epidemics of HIV and HSV-2.

Abstract

Antiviral agents aimed at treating HSV-2 chronically infected individuals have proven to be effective in the prevention of symptomatic genital herpes and the reduction of viral shedding. These agents play a key role in current HIV prevention trials that will assess the role of suppression of HSV-2 infection on the risk for HIV acquisition and transmission. An added clinical benefit of treating HSV-2/HIV-coinfected individuals is the potential survival benefit, as suggested by earlier studies and by the recent findings that HSV-2/HIV dually infected individuals have higher viral loads. The results of the current HSV-2 suppression trials may provide additional tools to fight the global spread of HIV infection. Treatment of HSV-2/HIV dually infected individuals may prove to be a low-cost intervention to improve clinical outcomes and delay the need for antiretroviral therapy.

• Authors: Steven J Reynolds, Thomas C Quinn
• Journal: Infectious disease clinics of North America (Infect Dis Clin North Am) Vol. 19 Issue 2 Pg. 415-25 (Jun 2005) ISSN: 0891-5520 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15963880 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Antiviral Agents

Topics

• Adult
• Antiviral Agents (therapeutic use)
• Disease Susceptibility (virology)
• Female
• HIV Infections (epidemiology, transmission, virology)
• HIV-1
• Herpes Genitalis (complications, drug therapy, epidemiology)
• Herpesvirus 2, Human (pathogenicity)
• Humans
• Male
• Prevalence