Anogenital herpesvirus infection: focus on HIV-positive patients

The annual growth in the number of people living with HIV infection inevitably leads to an increase in the number of cases of any type of comorbidity. The article analyzes modern epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic aspects of anogenital herpes simplex virus infection (AHVI) in HIV-positive patients. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) combine epidemiological and biological synergy. Concomitant anogenital herpes increases the risk of HIV infection by 2.7-4.7 times, and also contributes to its transmission through unprotected sexual intercourse. In HIV-infected patients with AHVI, the genital excretion of HSV-2 is increased. Among HIV-positive individuals, the seroprevalence of HSV-2 exceeds the population figures by 1.9-3.8 times. The incidence of AHVI in a cohort of Russians with a positive HIV status is 5-7.8 times higher than in the general population. The review demonstrates that both infections can have a negative mutual influence on the clinical course of each other. Particular emphasis is placed on the timely diagnosis of cases of coinfection. Based on the current regulatory documents, the authors developed and presented an algorithm for testing for HIV in patients with a newly diagnosed anogenital herpes.