A clinical study for the control of facial mucocutaneous herpes virus infections. I. Characterization of natural history in a professional school population.

One thousand thirty-one dental and dental hygiene students, faculty and staff at The University of Michigan School of Dentistry were interviewed in order to identify those with a past history of perioral mucocutaneous herpetic infection. Subsequently, the population was followed for 9 (+/- 3) months in order to determine various parameters of disease expression. Analysis of the results indicate the following: 1. In this professional population, 20.5 per cent described prior experience with perioral herpes. No sex difference was noted. 2. Prevalence increased with age. In the faculty-staff group (mean age 32.9 years +/ 11.8) prevalence was 30.7 per cent, whereas in the student -roup (mean age, io.6 years+/- 3.8) prevalence was 17.7 per cent. Occupational and/or socioeconomic factors did not appear to account for the age-related difference in prevalence. 3. Only 40 per cent of those who related prior disease experience developed lesions within the observation period of 9 (+/-3) months. 4. The recurrence rate, based upon an observation period of 9 (+/-3) months, in those persons who related prior disease experience was found to be 1.3 episodes per year (0.1 per month). 5. Duration of lesions ranged between 3 and 17 days, with a mean of 9 days. 6. The lower lip was the most common site of a lesion. 7. Triggering factors associated with development of a lesion in order of decreasing frequency were found to be; emotional stress, exposure to sun, and illness.