Herpes Blood TestIt has become quite easy to find a reliable herpes blood test. Herpes testing has improved a lot and a single herpes test can often provide results within an hour at your doctor’s office. Whenever our body is infected with bacteria or viruses, antibodies are generated in our blood stream to help fight these potentially harmful invaders. Antigens are mostly virus or bacteria proteins or polysaccharides that stimulate the generation of antibodies in the blood. An antigen is also called an immunogen because it triggers an immune response from the body. During a herpes infection, the herpes simplex virus releases antigens that generate antibodies in the body’s immune system. Blood tests for herpes are carried out in the absence of visible symptoms. They detect the presence of herpes antibodies, but may fail to do so immediately. It normally takes two to twelve weeks for antibodies to appear in the blood after a first herpes episode. That is why you should take a blood test at least 6 to 12 weeks after first contact. Antibodies detected by herpes blood tests are known as IgG and IgM. New and more accurate tests, however, have been developed which detect antibodies to a specific protein which varies between the two types of herpes simplex virus. This protein is kn own as glycoprotein G, or gG, and as these new tests are specific to glycoprotein G they will distinguish between the two types of herpes infection. Patients seeking an accurate diagnosis of herpes are therefore advised to opt for this ‘type specific’ blood test as opposed to the more basic sensitivity tests. Herpes blood tests developed to diagnose HSV infection based on the gG serology include HerpeSelect HSV-1 and HSV-2 ELISA test, from Focus Technologies. Others are HerpSelect immunoblot test, Western blot test, CAPTIA™ HSV IgG Type-Specific ELISAs, and the biokit HSV-2. The biokit HSV-2 and SureVue HSV-2 is the same test, manufactured by different companies and can provide results in less than 10 minutes. The gG based tests are the most accurate at the time of writing, so when you look for commercial testing kits or want herpes blood tests administered at a clinic, you should opt for gG based tests. What do herpes blood test result mean? The presence of HSV-1 or HSV-2 IgM antibodies can indicate an active or recent infection. HSV-1 or HSV-2 IgG antibodies indicate a previous infection. A significant increase in HSV IgG antibodies, measured by comparing acute and convalescent samples, indicates an active or recent infection. Negative HSV antibody results mean that it is unlikely that the patient has been exposed to HSV, or that the body has not had time to begin HSV antibody production. Herpes Blood Test AccuracyHerpes patients seeking an accurate diagnosis of herpes are recommended to go for the ‘type specific’ blood test as compared to the more basic sensitivity tests. The gG based tests are type-specific and are considered the most accurate to date, so when you search for commercial testing kits or have herpes blood tests done at a clinic or laboratory, you should opt for gG based tests. Two of the most widely used type-specific tests are the Western blot and the Pockit. The Western blot is best with about 99% accuracy in terms of HSV-2 sensitivity and specificity. The Pockit is also very good with 92% accuracy when it comes to HSV-2 sensitivity and specificity. You can get accuracy and sensitivity information for each test at http://www.ashastd.org/pdfs/blood_test.pdf False Positive Test ResultsIf you get a positive test result, it means you either have herpes, or you have a false positive test. A false positive test is a positive test result for a non infected person. False positive results range from up to 10% probability for CaptiaTM HSV Elisa test to 1% for Western Blot test. Older types of blood tests have a much higher rates of false-positive and should not be used 
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