A member asked:

Hsv2 igg 1.5 igm neg no s/s of infection. never lesions, thoughts. false (+) or (+) genital herpes infection. virus dormant like hsv1? any worries

5 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
Dr. Hunter Handsfield answered

Specializes in Infectious Disease

Maybe false positive: Edited, correcting a misunderstanding in my initial reply: Most HSV2 IgG tests, e.g. HerpeSelect®), are officially positive at ELISA ratio 1.1 or higher. However, it is reliably positve only at 3.5 or higher. With your value of 1.5, there's at least a 50:50 chance you do NOT have HSV2, despite the test result. Speak with your doctor about confirmatory testing, e.g. Western blot test.

Answered 3/25/2023

1.3k views

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Dr. John Leander Po answered

Specializes in Infectious Disease

Past infection (?): HSV1 and HSV2 are part of the Herpesvirus Family; both can lie dormant in cells and can shed/cause sores later. Yes, the test can be a false positive- or it may mean you were infected in the past. Some get HSV infections it but don't even realize it- Ig M goes up in early infection, then drops when Ig G levels start to go up. If worried, talk to your doc who did the test.

Answered 1/5/2019

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