A direct immunofluorescent (FA) test was used to facilitate typing of Herpesvirus hominis (HVH) strains. Using specific dilutions of fluorescein-conjugated rabbit anti-type 1 and anti-type 2 sera, HVH strains grown in HEp-2 cells could be typed as 1 if they reacted with both conjugated sera and as type 2 if they reacted only with anti-type 2 sera. In addition, a difference in staining between type 1 and type 2 infected cells was observed: type 1 infected cells showed perinuclear staining and fluorescent granules with either conjugated serum; type 2 infected cells showed no coarse granules and had both perinuclear and nuclear staining.