Australian Herpes Management Forum

News: New Medical Resource Kit

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The Australian Herpes Management Forum has just released a new Medical Resource Kit for general practitioners with a range of clinical guidelines that incorporates the most recent data and evidence for the diagnoses, management and treatment of herpes viruses.

Due to a recent study that provided new evidence for the treatment of genital herpes and due to changes in the PBS listing regarding antiviral management, a major focus of the medical kit is on genital herpes, with one of the new guidelines providing the latest information about preventing the sexual transmission of genital herpes.

Many people do not realise that they have genital herpes because they are asymptomatic, although they can still transmit the virus. More than 75% of people with genital herpes go without treatment because the infection has not been recognised or properly diagnosed. 60% are unrecognised symptomatic, 20% are asymptomatic and 20% are symptomatic and HSV 2 seropositivity is higher among women than men.

The Medical Resource Kit does not just deal with genital herpes, however, as there are at least eight different types of human herpes viruses, and while genital herpes is the most common infection, there are many other conditions caused by the herpes virus including Chickenpox, Shingles, Gingivostomatitis, Herpes Encephalitis, Herpes Keratitis, Neonatal herpes, Infectious Mononucleosis, Burkitt’s Lymphoma, Kaposi’s Sarcoma, Cytomegalovirus infection including Retinitis, and Roseola.

The new resource kit provides a series of clinical guidelines that outline some of the typical and atypical signs of a range of herpes viruses. The guidelines outline various methods of diagnosis, management and treatment for shingles, post herpetic neuralgia, oral herpes and herpes in pregnancy.

The resource kit is available via the Health Professionals area of the AHMF website.

More information

• Management guidelines for health professionals
• Changes in PBS listing for antivirals

16 August 2004