According to the WHO’s first global estimates of HSV-1 infection, it’s been said that more than 3.7 billion people under the age of 50, 67% of the population are infected with Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1). Herpes Simplex Virus is categorized into two: Herpes Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1) and Herpes Simplex Virus type 2 (HSV-2). These both HSV-1 and HSV-2 are highly infectious and incurable.

HSV-1 is primarily transmitted by oral-oral contact and in most cases causes lesions on the lips or around the mouth called as Orolabial Herpes or “cold sores” or Fever Blisters. HSV-1 is an important cause of genital herpes. Around 140 million people aged 15-49 years are infected with genital HSV-1 infection. “Most people contract the virus when they’re kids,” a Medical Contributor Dr. Holly Phillips said.

“It usually lies dormant in the system. It’s incurable. You never get rid of it, but it lies dormant most of the time. Every now and again people have outbreaks and that’s when you can see the blisters. For most people, when their immune system is under stress is when you start to see the blisters,” the doctor said. If people have an illness like the cold or flu, that’s actually how they ended up being called ‘cold sores’.

People who get a lot of sun exposure, women during pregnancy, during menstrual periods for women and when the immune system is under attack, these cold sores will come out. “It’s important to point out that both types of herpes can cause sores in both areas, but the World Health Organization in this report, they did emphasize that there is an increase in the number of genital herpes actually now caused by type 1,” Phillips said.

HSV-2 can lead to more complex health issues, including swelling in the brain and increased the risk of spreading HIV, almost entirely sexually transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, causing genital herpes. Experts suggest that the people should be educated how the virus spreads. In January, WHO estimated that 417 million people aged 15-49 years have the HSV-2 infection, which causes genital herpes.

“Access to education and information on both types of herpes and sexually transmitted infections is critical to protecting young people’s health before they become sexually active. The new estimates highlight the crucial need for countries to improve data collection for both HSV types and sexually transmitted infections, in general,” says Dr. Marleen Temmerman, Director of WHO’s Department of Reproductive Health and Research.

Statistics of Infection Affected Regional wise:

Estimates for HSV-1 prevalence by region among people aged 0-49 in 2012:

• Americas: 178 million women (49%), 142 million men (39%)
• Africa: 350 million women (87%), 355 million men (87%)
• Eastern Mediterranean: 188 million women (75%), 202 million men (75%)
• Europe: 207 million women (69%), 187 million men (61%)
• South-East Asia: 432 million women (59%), 458 million men (58%)
• Western Pacific: 488 million women (74%), 521 million men (73%)

Estimates of new HSV-1 infections among people aged 0-49 in 2012:

• Americas: 6 million women, 5 million men
• Africa: 17 million women, 18 million men
• Eastern Mediterranean: 6 million women, 7 million men
• Europe: 5 million women, 5 million men
• South-East Asia: 13 million women, 14 million men
• Western Pacific: 11 million women, 12 million men

WHO is currently working on the development of a global health sector strategy for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including for HSV-1 and HSV-2, to be finalized for consideration at the 69th World Health Assembly in 2016.