Loading...
Recent reports have indicated that herpes simplex virus (HSV) is frequently detected in respiratory specimens from critically ill patients, especially those with pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, HSV's exact role in the pathophysiology of these conditions remains poorly understood.
To explore this issue, researchers in Germany conducted a single-center case-control study among patients admitted to the hospital with respiratory failure and suspected viral pneumonia between January 2007 and April 2009. Respiratory specimens (bronchoalveolar lavage fluid or tracheal secretions) from these 191 patients were tested by polymerase chain reaction for a number of viruses; 62 specimens (33%) were HSV positive. In the fi…