Diagnosis/Testing
Diagnosis
can be made by:
Blood Test
A blood test for herpes is available only in a few research centers.
Microscopic Examination of Tissue Scrapings
In this process, scrapings from lesions are stained and then examined under a microscope.
This test is less accurate than viral cultures, as it is difficult to ascertain which type of HSV infection is present.
One common test is called a Tzanck smear.
Results of the tests take up to 2 weeks.
Viral Cell Culture Test
The test is a specific virus culture or assay for herpes virus.
The doctor or health consultant will obtain fluid from the sores and send it to a laboratory to see if the herpes virus is present.
A viral culture is a fluid sample taken from a lesion when it first appears. Highly accurate results can be given from a culture taken while the lesion is still in the clear blister stage, but the process takes a few days.
The test will not work if the sores have healed.
Immune Response Tests
These tests detect the body's immune response to the herpes virus and are slightly less reliable than viral cultures, but more reliable than tissue scrapings.
Results can sometimes be provided in two hours.
Other available tests:
Antigen test
Pap Smear
Pap Smear
Identifying Your Type
Not everyone knows whether they have HSV-1 or HSV-2 and in certain situations that information could be relevant.
In a situation where both partners have HSV-2 both are already infected so precautions to prevent the spread of the disease are optional.
If one partner has genital HSV-1 and the other has HSV-2, each might get infected with a second type unless precautions are used.
HSV- 1
Diagnosing genital HSV- 1 is difficult because the infection seldom recurs. Since many people have HSV-1 orally, a finding of HSV-1 by Western blot serology (blood test) would not positively identify genital infection.
A Western blot confirms if you have HSV-2. If you are seronegative (negative by blood test) for type 2, but positive for type 1, that gives you a strong clue as to the cause of your outbreaks, i.e. seropositive for type 1 but not type 2, with infrequent recurring genital herpes is probably genital HSV1.
Seek immediate professional help if genital herpes is suspected. Some of the available diagnostic procedures become less reliable the longer you wait.
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