Acyclovir Susceptibility and Genetic Characteristics of Sequential Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Corneal Isolates from Patients with Recurrent Herpetic Keratitis

Abstract

Corneal HSV-1 isolates are mixtures of acyclovir-sensitive and acyclovir-resistant viruses that share the same genotype but have different TK sequences. Recovery of the same acyclovir-resistant virus during consecutive herpetic keratitis episodes suggests that acyclovir-resistant HSV-1 establishes latency and reactivates intermittently to cause acyclovir-refractory RHK.