Protective effect of an oral infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 against subsequent genital infection with herpes simplex virus type 2.

The problem of whether oral Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection provides protection against subsequent genital infection by Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) was investigated. Mice were used as models. Following conditions in man, both the oral and genital infections applied were noninjurious. Mice infected orally with HSV-1 were weakly protected against virus 'take' following vaginal challenge with HSV-2. Genital 'takes' were found in 67% of the immunized mice, as compared with 83% of the controls (protection rate 20%, P = 0.002). The course of genital infection in the immunized mice, however, was relatively mild: Lethality decreased from 97% in the controls to 35% in the immunized mice (protection rate 63%, P less than 0.001). Furthermore, local and neurologic symptoms occurred less frequently. Attempts to isolate the virus from homogenized brain and spinal cord of immunized mice that died after genital challenge with HSV-2 failed in most cases. Also virus could not be recovered from the liver of infected mice, irrespective of the experimental group.