1. What determines what symptoms are and are not associated with HSV-2?
It’s just like any other disease or illness – certain symptoms go with HSV 2 symptoms like sore in the mouth or genital and certain symptoms don’t – like bumps on your elbow. I’m not sure what you are getting at here.
2. What is the clinical definition of “asymptomatic” in regards to the herpes virus?
Asymptomatic means that no symptoms are present – basically, in this case, no sores.
3. I’ve read of people becoming infected when someone was asymptomatic. Does asymptomatic in this case just mean the absence of visible symptoms, or does it also mean the absence of any prodrome symptoms?
There is no strict definition like you are looking for but I think we mean no visible symptoms in this case.
Terri