Herpes type 2 on a decline

Research in the field of herpes genital virus revealed that the proportion of Americans with the herpes type 2 virus is on decline.

The research conducted by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that the trend towards the ever increasing herpes type 2 virus, which was common between people in the age group of 14 to 49, has been declined now, owing to the awareness among the people.

The herpes type 2 virus is the main cause for genital herpes. The last survey, which was carried out in 1994, showed a large part of the population to be under the clouds of the sexually transmitted disease. However, the present survey showed that there has been a decrease in the number of patients by nearly 19 %.

Even if the spread of genital herpes has lowered, the risk is yet not eliminated. Genital herpes is a highly contagious infection usually spread through intercourse with a person with infected sores, but it can be passed through oral or anal sex as well. It may also be spread even when sores are not visible.

The new reports show the declining sex rate among the adolescents. Fujie Xu of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said that the decreasing number of people with the infections does not mean that herpes genital is annihilated, because infection never goes away. A nation wide drop simply suggests that fewer young people are getting HSV-2 infections. The main aim of the government at this point of time is to decrease the number of people with such infection and gradually winnow it out.

However, the study supports the fact that the genital herpes is on a rise due to herpes type 1 virus, as more teens are indulging in oral sex. The researchers warn that the herpes virus that causes cold sores may one day become a more important cause of genital herpes.

Repeated outbreaks of the pesky and often painful sores associated with herpes viruses can be controlled with drugs, but the virus is incurable and can be spread even when the sores are not present.

The virus occasionally can lead to blindness, encephalitis and infections in newborns.