Herpes simplex virus resistance to acyclovir and penciclovir after two decades of antiviral therapy.

Author(s): Bacon TH, Levin MJ, Leary JJ, Sarisky RT, Sutton D

Affiliation(s): GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, Weybridge, Surrey KT15 0DE, United Kingdom. teresa.h.bacon@gsk.com

Publication date & source: 2003-01, Clin Microbiol Rev., 16(1):114-28.

Publication type: Review

Acyclovir, penciclovir, and their prodrugs have been widely used during the past two decades for the treatment of herpesvirus infections. In spite of the distribution of over 2.3 x 10(6) kg of these nucleoside analogues, the prevalence of acyclovir resistance in herpes simplex virus isolates from immunocompetent hosts has remained stable at approximately 0.3%. In immuncompromised patients, in whom the risk for developing resistance is much greater, the prevalence of resistant virus has also remained stable but at a higher level, typically 4 to 7%. These observations are examined in the light of characteristics of the virus, the drugs, and host factors.