Seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type 1 in children in the United States.

Objectives: To describe HSV-1 seroprevalence in children in the United States and to examine factors associated with herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection in children.

Study Design: Sera samples available from 2989 children age 6 to 13 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 1999-2002 were tested for HSV-1 antibodies using a type-specific immunodot assay. HSV-1 seroprevalence in children age 12 to 13 years was compared with that reported in an earlier survey (NHANES 1988-1994).