Herpes Simplex (HSV)

• Herpes Simplex Studies
• Herpes Simplex type 1 and 2
• Herpes Simplex Women and Men
• Herpesviruses family Herpesviridae

Studies shown that Herpes Simplex is a common viral infection that causes blisters and sores around the mouth, face, nose, genitals, buttocks and anal area, but infections may occur almost anywhere on the skin. Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) occurs worldwide and approximately 20% people in the US (55 million) have HSV infections. This herpes table should give you a general idea of herpes infections worldwide:

Herpes simplex (Greek: ἕρπης - herpes, or lit. "creeping"), a DNA virus, exist as two types: HSV type1 or HSV-1 or Herpes 1 and HSV type 2 or HSV-2 or Herpes 2 and both types are very contagious. Herpes 1 is the herpes virus that is usually responsible for cold sore on the lips, the so called “fever blister” and can also cause sores around the genitals (5-15%). Herpes 2 is the one that causes genital herpes and sometimes cause mouth sores (5-15%). The infection causes painful sores on genitals in both, men and women. The disease lies dormant in nerve cells. But it may be reactivated by stress or illness.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections are more common in women than men. It infects about one out of four women and about one out of five men and can only be transmitted between humans. Once HSV has infected an individual it will remain in the body for life.

Herpes Virus infection is categorized as:

1. Oral Herpes (Oral infection, herpes labialis or cold sores)
2. Genital Herpes (herpes genitalium)

What is the Herpesvirus? The Herpes Viruses cause many major diseases. Here is the list of the herpesviruses, family Herpesviridae:

1. Alphaherpesviruses sub-family Alphaherpesvirinae (neurotropic):

a) Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV): oral herpes (cold sores), genital herpes, congenital herpes, ocular herpes (keratoconjunctivitis), herpes meningitis and herpes encephailitis

b) Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV): chickenpox, herpes zoster (shingles)

2. Betaherpesviruses sub-family Betaherpesvirinae:

a) Cytomegaloviruses (CMV) or Human herpesvirus 5 (HHV-5)
b) Human Herpes Virus 6 (HHV-6): exanthem subitum / sixth disease / roseola infantum
c) Human Herpes Virus 7 (HHV-7)

3. Gammaherpesviruses sub-family Gammaherpesvirinae (lymphotropic):

a) Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV): Hodgkin's Disease, Burkitt's lymphoma, infectious mononucleosis (mono) or kissing disease
b) Human Herpes Virus 8 (HHV-8) or Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (KSHV): Kaposi's sarcoma