All types of Herpes tests explained with the one efficient than the other, the conditions to go for anti-bodies test, blood test and DNA test for Herpes. It is essential to know the type of Herpes test required, to avoid false positive test results.
When thinking about herpes testing, it’s important to make a distinction in two types of testing. One is testing a person who presents in a clinic or with
a doctor that actually has genital lesions. We can test those lesions with very specific testing to see if that lesion is caused by herpes. So the different types of herpes tests are as follows.
Culture testing (Herpes blood test accuracy level : moderate)
Herpes culture form of test is sort of the old form of test many clinics are still doing culture the problem with culture is that it’s not it’s very
specific, meaning that if it’s positive we actually know that herpes is present. but it’s not necessarily very sensitive form of result, it gives.
Especially in some of older lesions, a person comes in typically not immediately after he or she breaks out with the herpes, usually
there’s a couple of days that go by during that day shedding of the virus. It decreases and so that the sensitivity of these cultures is decreasing. So, we really need to have much more sensitive tests.
STD DNA Testing (Herpes blood test accuracy level : high)
We now have the DNA testing, as we do for a lot of other things and so we can do DNA testing of virus. Some laboratories are actually doing that and it appears that more and more clinics and doctors are offering this form of test. This, much more sensitive tests that test can also make a distinction between the different types of herpes. Herpes simplex virus type one (HSV 1) which typically occurs around the the
mouth of cold sores.The genital lesions are typically type, two (HSV II). Even though the proportion of lesions that are caused by type one in the genital area is increasing. So it’s important to to know, what’s causing these lesions and having a much more sensitive test would be of great use for us in the clinics.
Also read : Know basic symptoms in men and women about Herpes Type one and two
Serological test (testing for antibodies, accuracy level : high)
Serological tests includes testing to two antibodies meaning you know our immune system develops resistance against these viruses making antibodies. You can detect those antibodies in the in the blood and with a greater sensitivity as well as specific to detect antibodies
against type 1 or type 2.
To summarize, the two types of tests, First is the direct test for the virus can tell you immediately whether herpes is causing that particular lesion. Secondly there’s the antibody tests of body’s immune reaction and it takes several weeks sometimes up to three months long time to
develop antibody so there’s a delay between on self infections and when the tests can be composite and then beyond that the antibody tests are not
perfect. If someone has lesions clearly the preferred test is a direct testament virus. Ideally a DNA test is preferred, if it’s available because it’ll pick up more infections than culture.
The importance of knowing virus type is very important as there are some physicians out there who assume its just a herpes, without letting know the virus type. This is as if unnecessary, because herpes is herpes no matter what. In fact there’s a big difference. If you get genital herpes but lucky enough that it’s HSV one. (Typically by oral sex because HSV 1 more commonly causes oral herpes). That’s actually a good news scenario
because the clinical course and need for treatment are very different from the HSV-2 diseases.
Genital HSV 1 recurs much less frequently in fact probably 40 % of people never have a second outbreak. The others are typically have an outbreak once every year or two as opposed to an average of three four five up to ten times a year with genital HSV 2. The need for treatment therefore, is different, the potential risk for transmission to partners is different.It is critical for everybody to know the genital herpes. Also, for their physicians to know that they have to know virus type and you can determine that either by culture, DNA testing which can determine the virus type or by the antibody tests which are also the proper kinds of tests.
Difference between IgM vs IgG Herpes testing
There are some older tests out there that don’t accurately distinguish type HSV 1 from type 2 in terms of blood tests. So those people who are getting tested their physicians and clinics who are ordering those tests need to be sure that they are requesting a type specific test. The other thing to bring into your notice is about antibody testing. Many labs automatically offer, what’s called IgM testing.( immunoglobulin type M) as opposed to in any club in type G or IgG testing. In theory IgM becomes positive sooner than IgG. So an IgM test for some infections can help detect early, thus increasing the chances of test to be false positive. As opposed to late infection the problem is that often it doesn’t work that well with herpes. The IgM testing often doesn’t proceed IgM antibody. But the test also has a lot of false positive results. The labs offer these tests because quite frankly, they are very cheap, to do they have a high profit margin and there is just an assumption that it’s a good thing to do.
Not all doc’s knowing the difference, they just order what the lab shows on its panel and they check off the box. The advice is to – and this is going to be in the upcoming revision of the CDC’s STD management guidelines that are going to be released soon. That IgM testing for HSV has no role whatsoever, doctor’s ordering tests, please do not request the IgM test patients who are perhaps going to an online site and arranging your own ages retesting ignore the IgM.
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