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HSV1 transmission

Hello Dr,

I am an individual who has been tested via Herpeselect, and am negative for both HSV1 and HSV2. I am concerned about possible non-sexual transmission of HSV1. I know this is an STD forum, but the physicians who post here are the most knowledgeable about HSV1, I believe. I do have an anxiety condition, so I'm hoping to put my fears to rest here.

I was on a date last night, and although no mouth to mouth kissing occurred, my date did give me a wet sloppy kiss on my cheek, and also light "pecks" on my shoulder and arm. I had some bug bites on my arm that he kissed directly. I'm worried the bites would serve as an entry point to the virus.  He did not have an active cold sore at the time, and I'm not sure if he even has HSV1.  Is it possible to contract HSV1 through the situations I described?
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
The quick answer is no; herpes is not a plausible cause of such symptoms, especially when they clear up so quickly.  If initial herpes causes symptoms at all, they last 10-20 days.

CAN herpes sometimes mimic a cold?  Sure.  Also a heart attack, hepatitis, stroke, and a number of other conditions.  But are you going to continue to worry about herpes every time you get some sort of otherwise unexplained illness?

Your concrns about herpes seem to me beyond the realm of normal. Compulsive, irrational fear of contamination -- with herpes, other infections, or just germs in general -- can be an early sign of serious mental health disability.  (See "The Aviator", the film biography of Howard Hughes, for an example of where it can lead.)  So if these thoughts keep recurring, I would recommend a professional mental health evaluation.  Maybe your situation isn't so serious, and I recommend this from compassion, not criticism.  But better safe than sorry.

However, this forum is not a substitute for this, so this is definitely the last comment on this thread.  Additional comments will be deleted without reply.  Good luck with it all.
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Avatar universal
I'm sorry to post again but I've developed some weird symptoms. Can herpes mimic a common cold? About 2 days after being kissed on the cheek, I developed a mild sore throat that only lasted 24 hours, coupled with nasal congestion, yellow mucus, and a mild fever of 100 degrees F. It's now the second day, and I feel almost 100% better. Could HSV possibly cause these symptoms, or is it definitely just the common cold?
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hard to know. Most people with positive blood tests for HSV-1 or HSV-2 have no recollection of symptoms.  On the other hand, often they may have had symptoms that were misdiagnosed; or they had mild symptoms that they have forgotten.  All things considered, probably around half of all people with initial HSV infections have symptoms at the time.

That should end this thread; I won't have any further comments or advice.  I hope the discussion has been helpful.
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Avatar universal
Got it, thank you! One final question: how common is it to contract herpes and never have a primary OB?
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Sharing a water bottle or eating utensils are also very low risk for HSV-1; I can't judge whether the chance would be ligher or lower compared with the events you have described.  It is true that primary HSV infections can be entirely asymptomatic, but still I strongly recommend against HSV testing on account of this event.
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Avatar universal
Thank you for your comments. Is the risk here analogous to sharing a water bottle or utensils with an infected individual, or higher in this case because direct contact was involved?


Would I need to get tested after this to be sure I didn't contract the virus? I read somewhere else, I think I comment by Terri, stating that an initial herpes infection can be acquired and not produce symptoms. So an individual would never have a primary outbreak.
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239123 tn?1267647614
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Welcome to the forum.  However, you are correct in your understanding that this really isn't an STD issue.  And MedHelp has a professionally moderated herpes forum.  So you may want to consider also getting an opinion on the herpes forum.

Is is "possible" to acquire HSV-1 from the sorts of exposures you have described.  Probably it is, and I cannot tell you the risk is zero.  However it is extremely unlikely.  In general, for an HSV infection to take (either HSV-1 or 2) probably requries direct contact with thin, moist tissues (lips, tongue, labia, etc) or it has to be vigoriously massaged into the skin.  And the chance the other person had HSV-1 and was actively shedding virus in his oral secretions at that particular time is statistically low, so probably you were not exposed at all.

The other issue here is why this matters to you so much.  Of course nobody wants to have HSV-1.  But for the vast majority of those who have it, HSV-1 causes no important health problem and carries little or no stigma -- especially for non-genital infection.

For those reasons, I urge you to not give these issues another thought.  It is exceedingly unlikely you were infected.

Best wishes--  HHH, MD
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