The increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) continues to pose a threat.
The prevalence of untreatable syphilis in particular – genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) types 1 and 2 – is at an all-time high worldwide, according to a new study published in the BMJ Journals Sexually Transmitted Infections.
As many as 846 million people between the ages of 15 and 49 (more than one in five) were living with genital herpes as of 2020.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that one person every second, up to 42 million people a year, are thought to be infected.
While HSV-2 is slowly declining, genital HSV-1 is on the rise, although it doesn’t cause much of a burden, one expert said.
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, Qatar, noted that all forms of HSV infection are lifelong and can cause symptomatic genital ulcer disease (GUC).
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HSV-2 “almost always” causes a sexually transmitted disease, the researchers said, while HSV-1 mainly causes oral infections, such as cold sores, but can be sexually transmitted to cause a sexually transmitted disease.
This infection can lead to painful genital sores and blisters that often come back in irregular cycles throughout life. In 2020, more than 200 million people in the same age group suffered at least one painful symptom event, data shows.
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Not every case of HSV has symptoms, which makes transmission more likely.
The researchers concluded that the “high incidence and prevalence” of HSV worldwide requires new preventive and therapeutic measures, such as vaccines, to control the spread and reduce the burden of the disease.
An estimated 846 million people between the ages of 15 and 49 are living with genital herpes as of 2020.
Study co-author Laith Abu-Raddad, health policy and research professor at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, emphasized the growing trend of HSV.
“Symptomatic genital herpes burdens the world, affecting 200 million people a year and causing a huge economic cost, estimated at 35 billion dollars a year due to healthcare costs and lost productivity,” he wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital.
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“Addressing this pressing health problem requires a critical response,” Abu-Raddad continued.
“Developing a vaccine that can protect against HSV-1 and HSV-2, the virus that causes genital herpes, represents an important step in controlling this virus worldwide.”
There is currently no cure for HSV, although there are treatments to help manage symptoms.
STIs can also cause serious complications such as neonatal herpes, which can be passed from mother to child during childbirth.
HSV-2 accounts for 90% of the symptoms and is associated with a high risk of HIV infection, according to the WHO.
HSV can cause painful sores and blisters that can occur in periodic episodes, according to experts.
Dr. Gabe Gaviola, chief medical officer at Everlywell in New York – an at-home STD testing and treatment platform – shared his concerns about increased exposure.
“HSV is highly contagious and often asymptomatic, which means many people can be unknowingly infected,” Gaviola, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “This makes prevention and early diagnosis difficult.”
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“There is also persistent stigma associated with genital herpes, which may discourage people from seeking treatment or disclosing their herpes status to partners, resulting in further spread.”
Gaviola reiterated how the HSV virus can increase the risk of contracting other sexually transmitted diseases due to “lesions and damage to the skin barrier,” which makes it “more important to seek appropriate diagnosis and treatment.”
“The new data in this study shows how widespread HSV-2 and HSV-1 are, with millions of new and existing cases every year,” a doctor said.
“The number of people who are affected by this disease, especially in people aged 15 to 49 years old, is caused by the public’s lack of knowledge, protection, and access to screening and treatment,” he said.
For those with symptoms, Gaviola recommends regular check-ups and being open with sexual partners to reduce the spread.
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Safe sex, including the use of condoms and contraceptives for those with HSV, can help reduce the transmission of HSV,” he added.
While HSV outbreaks can be controlled and may become less severe over time, outbreaks can occur during times of stress or illness, according to Gaviola.
Experts explain that the nature of HSV makes it difficult to prescribe a cure.
HSV remains dormant in nerve cells after the initial infection, which makes it “very difficult to completely remove from the body,” he said.
“It can happen again at any time, often without warning,” he warned. “This dormancy also allows the virus to escape the immune system, which prevents the body from eliminating the virus.”
“Although there are no drugs yet, progress in the development of vaccines and anti-viral drugs is doing well,” he said.
“Public health measures to reduce transmission and improve treatment are critical to addressing the global burden of HSV.”
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Anna Wald, MD, professor of medicine, laboratory medicine and epidemiology at the University of Washington, noted that the characteristics of herpes viruses, such as chicken pox and shingles, make the development of treatment difficult – although in the past, preclinical trials are taking place.
According to Wald, there have also been attempts to develop a vaccine for HSV that has failed.
“[A] a cure would likely require gene therapy, which is a dangerous form of non-fatal disease,” Wald, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. “So progress is slow because of that.”
There was also another attempt to develop a prophylactic vaccine which failed, according to the doctor.
“Testing vaccines is very expensive, but there are some new vaccines that will be tested in the next few years,” he said.
“In my opinion, a vaccine would be the perfect way, but we still don’t know how to make it work – and testing them is a long and expensive task.”
Source of article: An incurable, ‘highly contagious’ STD affects around 900 million people under the age of 50.