Herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) have evolved specific anatomic tropisms and site-dependent rates of reactivation. To determine whether reactivation rates depend on distinct abilities of HSV-1 and -2 to establish latency and to express latency-associated transcripts (LATs), virulent strains of each virus were studied in the guinea pig genital model. Following infection with equivalent titers of virus, the quantities of latent HSV-2 genomes and LATs were higher in lumbosacral ganglia, and HSV-2 infections recurred more frequently and lasted longer than HSV-1 infections. In contrast, if the inoculum of HSV-1 was 10 times that of HSV-2, the quantity of HSV-1 DNA and LATs increased correspondingly and HSV-1 infections were as likely to recur as those with HSV-2. The quantity of latent virus DNA correlates with and may be a major determinant of the site-specific patterns and rates of reactivation of HSV-1 and -2.