Background and study aim: Recent research has highlighted the importance of monitoring trends in herpes simplex ‎virus 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) seroprevalence and their etiological ‎surveillance. In this study, we aim to evaluate the seroprevalence of HSV1 and HSV2 ‎among Egyptian children aged from one to 15‎ years old‎‎.
Materials and Methods: ‎This study was based on a sample of children who regularly attended Misr University for ‎Science and Technology University hospital's outpatient clinics. The participants in the ‎study ranged in age from 1 to 15 years old. An ELISA kit tested blood samples for HSV-1 ‎and HSV-2 IgG and IgM‎.‎
Results: In the present survey, 123 children were included. Overall, the median IgM and IgG values ‎for the HSV type I study cohort were 0.39 (range, 0.0-3.07) and 1.50 (range, 0.02-3.89), ‎respectively. The median IgM and IgG values for the HSV type II study cohort were 0.32 ‎‎(range, 0.00-2.11) and 0.42 (range, 0.00-2.87), respectively. The prevalence of HSV type I ‎among study candidates was 56.1%. However, the prevalence of type II was 4.1%. In ‎comparison with the different age groups, it was found that the IgM levels in both HSV I ‎and II have no difference (P-value = 0.701 and P-value = 0.576, respectively). In HSV I ‎patients, there was a significant difference in IgG levels between age groups (P-value = ‎‎0.001), but no difference was found in HSV II patients (P-value = 0.870)‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎.
Conclusion: HSV1 and HSV2 seroprevalence is prevalent among Egyptian children.