Disseminated herpes simplex virus type 1 primary infection in a healthy individual.

Background: Primary herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection usually involves one mucosal region.

Objective: To describe an unusual disseminated HSV-1 infection involving two mucosal sites in a healthy man.

Results: Primary HSV infection involved oral and genital mucosa and was associated with viremia, hepatitis and rash. Phylogenetic analysis of genital and oral viruses revealed that the patient was infected by a single HSV-1 strain.

Conclusion: Use of polymerase chain reaction detection techniques for HSV may identify viremic patients in the absence of obvious immunosuppression.