New Delhi, Dec 11
At least one person each second, or 42 million people annually worldwide is estimated to acquire a new genital herpes infection, according to new estimates by the World Health Organization on Wednesday.
It showed that about 846 million people or more than 1 in 5 people aged between 15 and 49 are living with genital herpes infections.
Herpes simplex virus (HSV), known as herpes, is a common infection that can cause painful blisters or ulcers. It primarily spreads by skin-to-skin contact. It is treatable but not curable.
Usually, these infections cause no or few symptoms, in some cases they lead to painful genital sores and blisters that can recur throughout life, causing significant discomfort and often requiring multiple healthcare visits.
The estimates, published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections, showed that over 200 million people suffered at least one such symptomatic episode in 2020.
“While most people with a genital herpes infection experience few symptoms, with so many infections genital herpes still causes pain and distress for millions globally and strains already overburdened health systems,” said Dr Meg Doherty, Director of Global HIV, Hepatitis, and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programmes at WHO.