Geographic Localization of Three Variants of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 in Japan

Abstract

We previously reported that a variant of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) designated variant type A was isolated at a much higher frequency in Western Japan than in Eastern Japan. We examined the localization of two other variant types designated B and C. The proportion of the type B and type C variants among 553 fresh HSV-1 isolates from 10 areas in Japan were 5.4% and 1.3%, respectively. The isolation frequency of type B variant in Eastern Japan was 8.3%. It was as high as 20.5% in Iwate area. The frequency in Western Japan was only 3.0%. Type C variant showed no specific geographic localization. These results were discussed in terms of characteristic mode of HSV infection and the history of the Japanese nation.

Analysis of herpes simplex virus type 1 restriction fragment length polymorphism variants associated with herpes gladiatorum and Kaposi's varicelliform eruption in sumo wrestlers

“…Another HSV-1 RFLP variant BgO L (Ozawa et al, 1989b) has lost the BglII cleavage site between the BglII Q/ 13 and O fragments . It has been proposed that BgK L spread and replaced BgO L in Japan, based on the geographical distribution profiles of BgK L and BgO L Ozawa et al, 1989bOzawa et al, , 2006 and the high RF of BgK L in orolabial infections .In the present study, we compared the pathogenic and epidemiological properties of HSV-1 BgK L , BgO L and nonBgK L :non-BgO L variants in mice and sumo wrestlers with herpes gladiatorum (HG). Central nervous system (CNS) destruction is a major consequence of experimental murine disease induced by HSV-1 (Dix et al, 1983b; Goel et al, 2002;Mao & Rosenthal, 2003;Richards et al, 1981;Roizman & Knipe, 2001).…”

“…The prevalence of BgK L in HSV-1 clinical isolates, referred to as its relative frequency (RF), is 27 % in Japan (Ozawa et al, 2006). Another HSV-1 RFLP variant BgO L (Ozawa et al, 1989b) has lost the BglII cleavage site between the BglII Q/ 13 and O fragments . It has been proposed that BgK L spread and replaced BgO L in Japan, based on the geographical distribution profiles of BgK L and BgO L Ozawa et al, 1989bOzawa et al, , 2006 and the high RF of BgK L in orolabial infections .…”