Inactivation of clinical isolates of Herpesvirus hominis, types 1 and 2, by chemical contraceptives.

Two chemical contraceptives were examined for virucidal effects against four strains each of Herpesvirus hominis, type 2 and 1. Seven of the strains represented recent clinical isolates; one strain was a type 2 prototype. Either psermicide reduced the infectivities ofall eight viruses after contact for 10 minutes at room or body temperature. The new spermicide-germicide, compound A, produced an antiviral effect at the low concentration of 0.05%, whereas the commercially available Preceptin was effective at 5%, but not at 0.5%. The substantial loss of viral infectivity was due to direct inactivation of virus by the spermicides and was not secondary to cytotoxicity or induction of interferon in the cell cultures used for the assay. These in vitro findings hold primse for the interruption of the sexual transmission of H. hominis.