Herpes simplex virus type 1 and respiratory disease in critically-ill patients: real pathogen or innocent bystander?

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) has been associated with pulmonary disease, mostly in severely immunocompromised patients. After reactivation and shedding in the oropharynx, the virus may reach the lower respiratory tract by aspiration or by contiguous spread. HSV-1 can be detected in clinical specimens by virus culture or quantitatively by nucleic acid amplification techniques. With these techniques, HSV-1 is often detected in the respiratory secretions of critically-ill patients. However, a clear diagnosis of HSV-1 pneumonia is difficult to establish because clinical criteria, radiological features and laboratory findings all lack specificity. Lower respiratory tract HSV-1 infections have not been associated with specific risk-factors. There is also an absence of consistent data concerning the effect of antiviral treatment on the outcome of critically-ill patients. Further studies are needed to better define the pathogenic role of HSV-1 in the lower respiratory tract of these patients, to improve the diagnosis, and, especially, to assess the need for antiviral treatment in the individual patient.