Australian Herpes Management Forum

Herpes Swabbing Technique: Video Podcast

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The Value of Swabs

The gold standard for diagnosis of herpes simplex virus infections is detection of HSV on a swab taken from the affected area. Swabs can:

• Confirm that a given lesion is due to HSV. This can be a useful way of clarifying the diagnosis of atypical lesions.
• Detect the presence of viral shedding, sometimes even when the patient is asymptomatic
• Microbiological detection of HSV is required in order to prescribe antiviral medications under Australia's Pharmaceutical benefits Scheme.
• Clarify to a patient that he or she "has herpes" - the condition, not just the virus. This can help ease confusion when the presence of IgG is detected on type-specific antibody testing.

Technique

Using the correct technique is important to maximise sensitivity of the swab test. In other words, incorrect technique can lead to false negative results, diagnostic uncertainty for the clinician and frustration for the patient.

To improve swab-taking technique by clinicians, the AHMF has produced a 6 minute video demonstrating the optimal technique for taking diagnostic swabs from lesions and areas suspected to be shedding HSV.

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