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{{Short description|Viral disease caused by herpes simplex viruses}}
{{Infobox_Disease |
{{hatnote group|
Name = Herpes simplex |
{{For|all types of herpes viruses|Herpesviridae}}{{other uses}}
Image = Herpes simpex virus.jpg |
Caption = Microscopy image of a Herpes simplex virus. |
DiseasesDB = 5841 |
DiseasesDB_mult = {{DiseasesDB2|33021}} |
ICD10 = {{ICD10|A|60||a|50}}, {{ICD10|B|00||b|00}}, {{ICD10|G|05|1|g|00}}, {{ICD10|P|35|2|p|35}} |
ICD9 = {{ICD9|054.0}}, {{ICD9|054.1}}, {{ICD9|054.2}}, {{ICD9|054.3}}, {{ICD9|771.2}} |
ICDO = |
OMIM = |
MedlinePlus = |
eMedicineSubj = med |
eMedicineTopic = 1006 |
MeshID = D006561 |
}}
}}
{{Pp-semi-indef}}
{{otheruses4|the disease|information about the specific virus|Herpes simplex virus}}
{{Pp-move|small=yes}}

{{Good article}}
'''Herpes simplex''' is a viral infection caused by the [[Herpes Simplex Virus]] (HSV), one of the [[herpesviridae]]. There are two types of Herpes Simplex Virus: HSV Type 1 and HSV Type 2. The ways in which herpes infections manifest themselves vary tremendously among individuals. Most cases of genital herpes are caused by HSV-2. It is widespread, affecting an estimated 1 in 4 females and 1 in 5 males in the [[United States of America|United States]]{{Fact|date=February 2007}}. Although certain therapies can prevent outbreaks or reduce the risk of transmission to partners, no cure is yet available.<ref>Center for Disease Control (CDC) - [http://www.cdc.gov/std/Herpes/STDFact-Herpes.htm Herpes Fact Sheet] ''Accessed February 7, 2007''.</ref>
{{Infobox medical condition (new)

| synonyms = Herpes simplex
==HSV disease==
| name =
The ways in which herpes infections manifest themselves vary tremendously among individuals. The following are general descriptions of the courses outbreaks may take in the oral and genital regions.
| image = Herpes(PHIL 1573 lores).jpg

| alt =
[[Image:Herpes labialis.jpg|thumb|Infectious fluid-filled blister on lower lip (herpes labialis)]]
| caption = [[Cold sore|Oral herpes]] of the lower lip. Note the blisters in a group marked by an arrow.
Herpes is also formed on the tongue as bumps or white dots
| pronounce = {{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|ɜɹ|p|iː|z}}
===Orofacial infection (generally HSV-1)===
| field = [[Infectious disease (medical specialty)|Infectious disease]]
#[[Prodromal]] symptoms
| symptoms = Blisters that break open and form small [[ulcer]]s, fever, swollen [[lymph node]]s<ref name=CDC2014F/>
#Skin appears irritated
| complications =
#Sore or cluster of fluid-filled [[blister]]s appear
| onset =
#Lesion begins to heal, usually without scarring
| duration = 2–4 weeks<ref name=CDC2014F/>

| causes = [[Herpes simplex virus]] spread by direct contact<ref name=CDC2014F/>
it is estimated that 50% of adults in the United Kingdom are carriers of the Herpes
| risks = [[immunosuppression|Decreased immune function]], stress, sunlight<ref name=Bal2014/><ref name="Cancer"/>
Simplex Virus, many of which will never exibit any symptoms of infection. It is also possible for
| diagnosis = Based on symptoms, [[Polymerase chain reaction|PCR]], [[viral culture]]<ref name=CDC2014F/><ref name=Bal2014/>
the virus to be transmitted across the skin in the absence of a coldsore. Oral herpes lesions typically occur on the lips, but can occur almost anywhere on the face. They can also occur on the fixed mucosa inside the mouth, including the [[hard palate]] (roof of the mouth), and [[gingiva]] (gums).
| differential =

| prevention =
===Genital infection (generally HSV-2)===
| treatment =
#Prodromal symptoms
| medication = [[Aciclovir]], [[valaciclovir]], [[paracetamol]] (acetaminophen), topical lidocaine<ref name=CDC2014F/><ref name=Bal2014/>
#Itching in affected area
| prognosis =
#Sore appears
| frequency = 60–95% (adults)<ref name=Peds09/>
#Lesion begins to heal, usually without scarring
| deaths =

In males, the lesions may occur on the shaft of the penis, in the genital region, on the inner thigh, buttocks, or anus. In females, lesions may occur on or near the pubis, labia, clitoris, vulva, buttocks, or anus. This may require a very careful examination; for example, during delivery, examination by use of a flashlight may be necessary.

The appearance of herpes lesions and the experience of outbreaks in these areas varies tremendously among individuals. Herpes lesions on/near the genitals may look like cold sores. An outbreak may look like a paper cut, or chafing, or appear to be a [[yeast infection]]. Symptoms of a genital outbreak may include aches and pains in the area, discharge from the [[penis]] or [[vagina]], and discomfort when [[urination|urinating]].

Initial outbreaks are usually more severe than subsequent ones, and generally also involve [[influenza|flu]]-like symptoms and swollen [[gland]]s for a week or so. Subsequent outbreaks tend to be periodic or episodic, typically occur four to five times a year, and can be triggered by [[stress (medicine)|stress]], illness, fatigue, [[menstruation]], and other changes. The virus sequesters in the [[nerve]] [[ganglion|ganglia]] that serve the infected [[dermatomic area|dermatome]] during non-eruptive periods, where it cannot be conventionally eliminated by the body's immune system.

===Herpes simplex encephalitis (generally HSV-1)===
{{DiseaseDisorder infobox |
Name = Herpesviral encephalitis |
ICD10 = B00.4, G05.1 |
ICD9 = {{ICD9|054.3}} |
}}
}}
Herpes simplex [[encephalitis]] is a very serious disorder, thought to be caused by the retrograde transmission of the virus from a peripheral site to the central nervous system along a nerve [[axon]]. It is known that the virus lies dormant in the [[ganglion]] of the trigeminal or fifth [[cranial nerve]]. The reason for reactivation remains unclear. It has also been proposed that the olfactory nerve may be involved.<ref>


'''Herpes simplex''', often known simply as '''herpes''', is a [[viral disease|viral infection]] caused by the [[herpes simplex virus]].<ref name="WHO2022">{{cite web |title=Herpes simplex virus |url=https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/herpes-simplex-virus |website=World Health Organization |access-date=21 November 2022}}</ref> Herpes infections are categorized by the area of the body that is infected. The two major types of herpes are [[Cold sore|oral herpes]] and [[genital herpes]], though [[Herpes simplex#Types of herpes|other forms]] also exist.
{{cite journal | author = Dinn J | title = Transolfactory spread of virus in herpes simplex encephalitis. | journal = Br Med J | volume = 281 | issue = 6252 | pages = 1392 | year = 1980 | id = PMID 7437807


Oral herpes involves the face or mouth. It may result in small [[blister]]s in groups, often called cold sores or fever blisters, or may just cause a sore throat.<ref name=Bal2014/><ref>{{cite book|last1=Mosby|title=Mosby's Medical Dictionary|date=2013|publisher=Elsevier Health Sciences|isbn=9780323112581|pages=836–37|edition=9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aW0zkZl0JgQC&pg=PA836|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906210724/https://books.google.com/books?id=aW0zkZl0JgQC&pg=PA836|archive-date=2017-09-06}}</ref> Genital herpes involves the [[genitalia]]. It may have minimal symptoms or form blisters that break open and result in small [[ulcer]]s.<ref name=CDC2014F/> These typically heal over two to four weeks.<ref name=CDC2014F/> Tingling or shooting pains may occur before the blisters appear.<ref name=CDC2014F/>
}}</ref> Without treatment, it results in rapid death in around 70% of cases. Even with the best modern treatment, it is fatal in around 20% of cases, and causes serious long-term neurological damage in over half the survivors. Again, for unknown reasons the virus seems to target the temporal lobes of the brain. A small population of survivors, perhaps 20%, show little long-term damage. It is most common in children and middle-aged adults. Although herpes simplex is by no means the most common cause of viral encephalitis (accounting for about 10% of cases in the US), because of the high risk associated with it if it is not treated as well as being one of the few encephalitis to which definitive treatment is available, patients presenting with encephalitis symptoms are likely to be treated against this disorder without waiting for a positive diagnosis. A positive diagnosis can be obtained by CSF PCR for herpes simplex DNA, CSF viral culture or a rising titre for antibodies. The fact that the Electroencephalogram is abnormal in >90% of the patients with Herpes Simplex Encephalitis further aids the diagnosis.


Herpes cycles between periods of active disease followed by periods without symptoms.<ref name=CDC2014F/> The first episode is often more severe and may be associated with fever, muscle pains, swollen [[lymph node]]s and headaches.<ref name=CDC2014F/> Over time, episodes of active disease decrease in frequency and severity.<ref name=CDC2014F/>
The virus usually infects through the mouth and enters the nucleus during the first 7 days, and will remain latent for 10 days to 100 years, and will then reactivate from common stress, fever, or a sunburn. The virus will soon be contagious through more cold sores, and the disease will start to attack the brain.


[[Herpetic whitlow]] typically involves the fingers or thumb,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Wu|first1=IB|last2=Schwartz|first2=RA|title=Herpetic whitlow.|journal=Cutis|date=March 2007|volume=79|issue=3|pages=193–06|pmid=17674583}}</ref> [[herpes simplex keratitis]] involves the eye,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Rowe|first1=AM|last2=St Leger|first2=AJ|last3=Jeon|first3=S|last4=Dhaliwal|first4=DK|last5=Knickelbein|first5=JE|last6=Hendricks|first6=RL|title=Herpes keratitis.|journal=Progress in Retinal and Eye Research|date=January 2013|volume=32|pages=88–101|pmid=22944008|doi=10.1016/j.preteyeres.2012.08.002|pmc=3529813}}</ref> [[herpesviral encephalitis]] involves the brain,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Steiner|first1=I|last2=Benninger|first2=F|title=Update on herpes virus infections of the nervous system.|journal=Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports|date=December 2013|volume=13|issue=12|pages=414|pmid=24142852|doi=10.1007/s11910-013-0414-8|s2cid=22139709}}</ref> and [[Neonatal herpes simplex|neonatal herpes]] involves any part of the body of a newborn, among others.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Stephenson-Famy|first1=A|last2=Gardella|first2=C|title=Herpes Simplex Virus Infection During Pregnancy.|journal=Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America|date=December 2014|volume=41|issue=4|pages=601–14|pmid=25454993|doi=10.1016/j.ogc.2014.08.006}}</ref>
===Neonatal herpes simplex===
{{DiseaseDisorder infobox |
Name = Congenital herpesviral (herpes simplex) infection |
ICD10 = P35.2 |
ICD9 = {{ICD9|771.2}} |
}}
[[Image:SOA-Herpes-neonatorum.jpg|thumb|left|HSV at newborn child.]]
Neonatal HSV disease is a rare, but serious, consequence of vertical HSV transmission from mother to newborn child. Prospective active surveillance data indicates an incidence rate of 3.61 per 100,000 live births in Australia, with similar rates in the UK; but much lower than the USA. <ref name=Elliot>{{cite journal
| author=Elliott E, Rose D. | title=Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit. Reporting of communicable disease conditions under surveillance by the APSU, 1 January to 30 September 2003 | journal=Commun. Dis. Intell. | year=2003 | pages=90-91 | volume=28 | issue=1 | id=PMID 15072162


There are two types of herpes simplex virus, type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2).<ref name=CDC2014F/> HSV-1 more commonly causes infections around the mouth while HSV-2 more commonly causes genital infections.<ref name=Bal2014/> They are transmitted by direct contact with body fluids or lesions of an infected individual.<ref name=CDC2014F/> Transmission may still occur when symptoms are not present.<ref name=CDC2014F/> Genital herpes is classified as a [[sexually transmitted infection]].<ref name=CDC2014F/> It may be spread to an infant during childbirth.<ref name=CDC2014F/> After infection, the viruses are transported along [[Sensory neuron|sensory nerves]] to the nerve cell bodies, where they [[Virus latency|reside lifelong]].<ref name=Bal2014>{{cite journal|last1=Balasubramaniam|first1=R|last2=Kuperstein|first2=AS|last3=Stoopler|first3=ET|title=Update on oral herpes virus infections.|journal=Dental Clinics of North America|date=April 2014|volume=58|issue=2|pages=265–80|pmid=24655522|doi=10.1016/j.cden.2013.12.001}}</ref> Causes of recurrence may include [[immunosuppression|decreased immune function]], stress, and sunlight exposure.<ref name=Bal2014/><ref name="Cancer">{{cite journal |author=Elad S |title=A systematic review of viral infections associated with oral involvement in cancer patients: a spotlight on Herpesviridea |journal=Support Care Cancer |volume=18 |issue=8 |pages=993–1006 |date=August 2010 |pmid=20544224 |doi=10.1007/s00520-010-0900-3 |name-list-style=vanc|author2=Zadik Y |author3=Hewson I |display-authors=3 |last4=Hovan |first4=Allan |last5=Correa |first5=M. Elvira P. |last6=Logan |first6=Richard |last7=Elting |first7=Linda S. |last8=Spijkervet |first8=Fred K. L. |last9=Brennan |first9=Michael T.|s2cid=2969472 }}</ref> Oral and genital herpes is usually diagnosed based on the presenting symptoms.<ref name=Bal2014/> The diagnosis may be confirmed by [[viral culture]] or detecting herpes DNA in fluid from blisters.<ref name=CDC2014F/> Testing the blood for [[antibodies]] against the virus can confirm a previous infection but will be negative in new infections.<ref name=CDC2014F/>
}}</ref><ref name=Jones>


The most effective method of avoiding genital infections is by avoiding vaginal, oral, manual, and anal sex.<ref name=CDC2014F/><ref>{{cite book| last1 = Hoyle | first1 = Alice | last2 = McGeeney | first2 = Ester |title=Great Relationships and Sex Education|publisher=Taylor and Francis|year=2019|access-date=July 11, 2023|isbn=978-1-35118-825-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KE7ADwAAQBAJ&pg=PT261}}</ref> [[Condom]] use decreases the risk.<ref name=CDC2014F/> Daily [[antiviral drug|antiviral medication]] taken by someone who has the infection can also reduce spread.<ref name=CDC2014F/> There is no available [[vaccine]]<ref name=CDC2014F/> and once infected, there is no cure.<ref name=CDC2014F/> [[Paracetamol]] (acetaminophen) and topical lidocaine may be used to help with the symptoms.<ref name=Bal2014/> Treatments with antiviral medication such as [[aciclovir]] or [[valaciclovir]] can lessen the severity of symptomatic episodes.<ref name=CDC2014F/><ref name=Bal2014/>
{{cite journal
| author=Jones CA | title=Vaccines to prevent neonatal herpes simplex virus infection | journal=Expert Rev. Vaccines | year=2004 | pages=363-364 | volume=3 | issue=4 | id=PMID 15270635


Worldwide rates of either HSV-1 or HSV-2 are between 60% and 95% in adults.<ref name=Peds09/> HSV-1 is usually acquired during childhood.<ref name=CDC2014F>{{cite web |title=Genital Herpes – CDC Fact Sheet |url=https://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/STDFact-Herpes-detailed.htm |website=cdc.gov |access-date=31 December 2014 |date=December 8, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141231122747/http://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/STDFact-Herpes-detailed.htm |archive-date=31 December 2014}}</ref> Since there is no cure for either HSV-1 or HSV-2, rates of both inherently increase as people age.<ref name=Peds09/> Rates of HSV-1 are between 70% and 80% in populations of low socioeconomic status and 40% to 60% in populations of improved socioeconomic status.<ref name=Peds09>{{cite journal |vauthors=Chayavichitsilp P, Buckwalter JV, Krakowski AC, Friedlander SF |title=Herpes simplex |journal=Pediatr Rev |volume=30 |issue=4 |pages=119–29; quiz 130 |date=April 2009 |pmid=19339385 |doi=10.1542/pir.30-4-119 |s2cid=34735917 }}</ref> An estimated 536 million people worldwide (16% of the population) were infected with HSV-2 as of 2003 with greater rates among women and those in the developing world.<ref name=Looker2008>{{cite journal|last=Looker|first=KJ|author2=Garnett, GP |author3=Schmid, GP |title=An estimate of the global prevalence and incidence of herpes simplex virus type 2 infection.|journal=Bulletin of the World Health Organization|date=October 2008|volume=86|issue=10|pages=805–12, A|pmid=18949218|pmc=2649511|doi=10.2471/blt.07.046128|doi-broken-date=5 December 2024 }}</ref> Most people with HSV-2 do not realize that they are infected.<ref name=CDC2014F/>
}}</ref> Preliminary studies indicate the epidemiology in Canada is closer to Europe than to the United States. The mortality rate from neonatal HSV disease is high (up to 25%) despite current interventions with antiviral therapies. Death results from disseminated HSV disease and/or HSV encephalitis in the newborn children.
<br clear="all" />


{{TOC limit|3}}
===Ocular herpes===
Ocular herpes (generally HSV-1) is a special case of herpes infection (herpes viral keratitis) that affects the nerves serving the [[cornea]] of the eye. It usually manifests as small white itchy lesions on the surface of the cornea, known as dendritic ulcers because they show a branching pattern. Additional symptoms include dull pain deep inside the eye, mild to acute dryness and [[sinusitis]]. Most first infections resolve spontaneously in a few weeks or with the use of oral and topical [[antiviral]]s. However, the virus continues to inhabit the neurons of the eye and to multiply. Subsequent symptoms (with or without visible lesions) include chronic dry eye, low grade intermittent conjunctivitis or chronic unexplained sinusitis. When the patient is immunocompromised or the concentration of viral DNA reaches a critical limit, the presence of the virus can trigger a massive [[autoimmune response]] in the eye, resulting in the patient's own system destroying the [[Substantia propria|corneal stroma]]. This usually results in loss of vision due to opacification of the cornea. Treatment with [[corneal transplant]]s may be ineffective, as reinfection of the transplant is common; however, with concurrent use of antivirals the chance of graft acceptance is higher. Research is ongoing for a [[vaccine]] against ocular herpes.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}


==Etymology==
Ocular herpes is the leading cause of infectious blindness in the developed world.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} As with orofacial or genital herpes, trauma to the eye increases the chance of a recurrence. Thus herpes viral keratitis can produce complications in the case of patients undergoing [[radial keratotomy]] by laser ([[lasik]]) to correct vision defects, and patients undergoing this procedure should be carefully screened.
The name is from {{langx|grc|ἕρπης}} ''herpēs'', which is related to the meaning 'to creep', referring to spreading blisters.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Beswick |first1=TSL |title=The Origin and the Use of the Word Herpes |journal=Med Hist |volume=6 |date=1962 |issue=3 |pages=214–232|doi=10.1017/S002572730002737X |pmid=13868599 |pmc=1034725 }}</ref> The name does not refer to latency.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Reese |first1=Vail |title=Countering Creeping Confusion: A Proposal to Re-Name Herpes Virus TAXONOMY |url=http://ojcpcd.com/reese-v/countering-creeping-confusion-a-proposal-to-re-name-herpes-virus-taxonomy/ |website=Online Journal of Community and Person-Centered Dermatology |publisher=Dr. David Elpern |access-date=22 September 2018 |archive-date=23 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923005836/http://ojcpcd.com/reese-v/countering-creeping-confusion-a-proposal-to-re-name-herpes-virus-taxonomy/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>


== Signs and symptoms ==
A common cause of infection of the eye is the handling of contact lenses with hands infected by active sores at other sites, notably the mouth; thus the common practice of wetting lenses with saliva when no proprietary solution is available (such as for reinsertion after accidental dislodging) is extremely dangerous and should always be avoided.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}


[[File:Herpes Infection.png|thumb|Herpes infection]]
==Outbreak Triggers==
=== Oral herpes ===
Physical or psychological stress can trigger an outbreak. Local injury to the face, lips, eyes or mouth, as through trauma, surgery, or sunburns are well established triggers of recurrent orolabial herpes due to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Similarly, intercurrent infections, such as upper respiratory viral infections or other febrile diseases, can cause outbreaks, hence the historic terms "cold sore" and "fever blister". Generalized psychological stress and anxiety are also triggers.

=== Genital herpes ===
Controversy exists about triggers of recurrent outbreaks of genital herpes, typically due to HSV-2. It is often stated that stress, menstruation, diet (such as foods high in [[arginine]], like [[chocolate]], [[peanuts]] and [[walnuts]]) or sexual activity may increase the chance and severity of outbreaks.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} However, no scientific studies have clearly documented such triggers, and the objective data available suggest that outbreaks are not influenced by stressful events, anxiety, depression, or similar influences. The clinical experience of most experts involved in clinical care is that attempts by infected persons to modify external triggers is virtually never effective in controlling symptomatic oubreaks of genital herpes. Similarly, neither objective data nor biololgical plausibility support the notion that excessive usage of [[antibiotic]]s affect the immune system's ability to keep the disease within the nerve ganglia (particularly as antibiotics are useless against viruses of any type) or otherwise affect herpes recurrences, nor the occasional assertion that "chronic" genital herpes is in any way related to low-level food allergy.

==Symptoms==
Herpes infections, whether initial or recurring, are usually first felt as a tingling and/or itching sensation in the affected location. These initial feelings are usually followed, depending on how severe the infection is, by the emergence of a raised or swollen area on the skin. This swollen area then becomes painful in general, but acutely sore when touched, stretched or moved. Eventually the sore area will abscess, and emit a virus laden clear fluid for several days before scabbing over. Once scabbed over the lesion will usually heal completely within a period of a week to ten days. In immuno-compromised individuals this cycle can be significantly protracted.

From the onset of infection/outbreak, many patients experience headaches, fatigue (sometimes extreme), and peculiar twitching sensations in the nerves that lead to the area of the outbreak. The fatigue associated with herpes infections can concatenate with depression brought on by the cosmetic or sexually compromising nature of the infection, to yield a deeply gloomy overall mental state that some believe can contribute to increasing the length and severity of an infection.

==Transmission==
Herpes is contracted through direct [[skin]] contact (not necessarily in the genital area) with an infected person, and less frequently by indirect contact (for instance, by sharing lip balm or a virus infested shared towel). The virus travels through tiny breaks in the skin (or mucous membranes in the mouth and genital areas), so, healthy skin and mucous membranes are normally an effective barrier to infection. However, in the case of mucous membranes, even microscopic abrasions are sufficient to expose the nerve endings into which the virus splices itself. This is why most herpes transmission happens in mucous membranes, or in areas of the body where mucous membranes and normal skin merge (e.g., the corners of the mouth).

Symptoms may not appear for up to a month or more after infection.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}

Transmission was thought to be most common during an active outbreak; however, in the early 1980s, it was found that the virus can be shed from the skin in the absence of symptoms.

==Recurrence==
Herpes recurs only at a site of previous infection. The periodicity (frequency) and amplitude (severity) of recurrence varies greatly depending on the individual and various environmental factors including stress (both physical and mental). Often, for a given site, the infection will recur only two or three times, with severity attenuating (decreasing) each time. The mechanism by which the body seems to gain the upper-hand for a given recurrence site is poorly understood by the medical community.

==Self Reinfection==

Self reinfection, known medically as autoinoculation, is more likely during intensely virulent initial infection with either HSV-1 or HSV-2 in a given infection site. The most common manifestations are herpetic whitlow, a pustular lesion typically of a finger, and herpes of the eye (keratitis, keratoconjunctivitis).

General hygiene principles suggest that persons with recurrent oral or genital herpes should avoid direct contact with active lesions and should wash their hands immediately after using the toilet or touching the area of an oral lesion, to further limit the low risk of autoinoculation.

In cases where herpes is present in an area where the dermis is subject to high abrasive forces (such as the often irritated shaved beard region, or the surfaces of the penis and vagina during vigorous sexual activity), it is quite common to spread an initial lesion to other sites, which then become highly virulent initial infections, and so on. The medical community has failed to make this very obvious fact clear to patients and this has resulted in great amplification of their general misery, not to mention the much higher likelihood that a person infected in multiple sites (whether genital, or otherwise) will spread this disease to friends, family and sexual partners.

==Asymptomatic Shedding==
HSV asymptomatic shedding is believed to occur on 2.9% of days while on antiviral therapy, versus 10.8% of days without. Shedding is known to be more frequent within the first 12 months of acquiring HSV-2, and concurrent infection with [[Human Immunodeficiency Virus|HIV]] also increases the frequency and duration of asymptomatic shedding.<ref>

{{cite journal | author = Kim H, Meier A, Huang M, Kuntz S, Selke S, Celum C, Corey L, Wald A | title = Oral herpes simplex virus type 2 reactivation in HIV-positive and -negative men. | journal = J Infect Dis | volume = 194 | issue = 4 | pages = 420-7 | year = 2006 | id = PMID 16845624

}}</ref> There are some indications that some individuals may have much lower patterns of shedding, but evidence supporting this is not fully verified. Sex should always be avoided in the presence of symptomic lesions. Oral sex performed by someone with oral lesions or other symptoms should be avoided, to avoid transmission of HSV-1 to the partner's genitals. Even without symptoms it is possible for transmission to occur. Many people still believe Herpes cannot be transmitted through oral sex. This is a dangerous myth.

Women are more susceptible to acquiring genital HSV-2 than men; in the US, 11% of men and 23% of women carry HSV-2.<ref>

{{cite news | author=Carla K. Johnson | title=Percentage of people with herpes drops | url=http://www.newsobserver.com/150/story/477928.html | publisher=Associated Press | date = Aug 23, 2006

}}</ref> On an annual basis, without the use of antivirals or condoms, the transmission risk from infected male to female is approximately 8-10%. This is believed to be due to the increased exposure of mucosal tissue to potential infection sites. Transmission risk from infected female to male is approximately 4-5% annually. Suppressive antiviral therapy reduces these risks by 50%. Antivirals also help prevent the development of symptomatic HSV in infection scenarios by about 50%, meaning the infected partner will be seropositive but symptom free. Condom use also reduces the transmission risk by 50%. Condom use is much more effective at preventing male to female transmission than vice-versa. <ref name=Wald>

{{cite journal
| author=Wald A, Langenberg AG, Link K, Izu AE, Ashley R, Warren T, Tyring S, Douglas JM Jr, Corey L. | title=Effect of condoms on reducing the transmission of herpes simplex virus type 2 from men to women | journal=JAMA | year=2001 | pages=3100-3106 | volume=285 | issue=24 | id=PMID 11427138

}}</ref> The effects of combining antiviral and condom use is roughly additive, thus resulting in approximately a 75% combined reduction in annual transmission risk. It is important to note that these figures reflect experiences with subjects having frequently-recurring genital herpes (>6 recurrences per year). Subjects with low recurrence rates and those with no clinical manifestations were excluded from these studies.

==Prevention==
For genital herpes, [[condom]]s are a highly recommended way to limit transmission of herpes simplex infection, as demonstrated in research. <ref name=Wald>

{{cite journal
| author=Wald A, Langenberg AG, Link K, Izu AE, Ashley R, Warren T, Tyring S, Douglas JM Jr, Corey L. | title=Effect of condoms on reducing the transmission of herpes simplex virus type 2 from men to women | journal=JAMA | year=2001 | pages=3100-3106 | volume=285 | issue=24 | id=PMID 11427138

}}</ref><ref name=Casper>

{{cite journal
| author=Casper C, Wald A. | title=Condom use and the prevention of genital herpes acquisition.
| journal=Herpes | year=2002 | pages=10-14 | volume=9 | issue=1 | id=PMID 11916494

}}</ref> However, condoms are by no means completely effective. The effectiveness of this method is somewhat limited on a [[public health]] scale by the limited use of condoms in the community <ref name=Visser>

{{cite journal
| author=de Visser RO, Smith AM, Rissel CE, Richters J, Grulich AE. | title=Sex in Australia: safer sex and condom use among a representative sample of adults | journal=Aust. N. Z. J. Public Health. | year=2003 | pages=223-229 | volume=27 | issue=2 | id=PMID 14696715

}}</ref>; and on an individual scale because some blisters may not be covered by the condom, or free virus in female vaginal fluid may enable infection around the base of the penis or testicles not covered by the condom.

Condoms do not prevent the condom wearer from spreading the infection to new sites either on himself through abrasion (if he is already infected and suffering an outbreak), or on the female partner if she is suffering from an outbreak and the sexual activity spreads this infection from one site to another on her own body (see "Self Reinfection" above).

Condoms will not prevent the spread of Herpes from the genitals of one partner to the mouth of the other during oral sex.

When one partner has herpes simplex infection and the other does not, the use of [[valaciclovir]], in conjunction with a condom, has been demonstrated to decrease further the chances of transmission to the uninfected partner, and the [[Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) approved this as a new indication for the drug in August [[2003]].

[[Vaccines]] for HSV are currently undergoing trials. Once developed, they may be used to help with prevention or minimize initial infections as well as treatment for existing infections. [http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20050101/fob6.asp]
HSV infection causes several distinct medical [[Disorder (medicine)|disorders]]. Common infection of the skin or mucosa may affect the face and mouth (orofacial herpes), genitalia (genital herpes), or hands ([[herpetic whitlow]]). More serious disorders occur when the virus infects and damages the eye ([[Herpes of the eye|herpes keratitis]]), or invades the central nervous system, damaging the brain (herpes encephalitis). People with immature or suppressed immune systems, such as newborns, transplant recipients, or people with AIDS, are prone to severe complications from HSV infections. HSV infection has also been associated with cognitive deficits of [[bipolar disorder]],<ref name="Dickerson2004 Mar 15">{{cite journal|author=Dickerson FB |title=Infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 is associated with cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder |journal=Biol. Psychiatry |volume=55 |issue=6 |pages=588–93 |date=March 2004|pmid=15013827|doi=10.1016/j.biopsych.2003.10.008|name-list-style=vanc|author2=Boronow JJ|author3=Stallings C|display-authors=3|last4=Origoni|first4=Andrea E|last5=Cole|first5=Sara|last6=Krivogorsky|first6=Bogdana|last7=Yolken|first7=Robert H|s2cid=25338399 }}</ref> and [[Alzheimer's disease]], although this is often dependent on the [[genetics]] of the infected person.


In all cases, HSV is never removed from the body by the [[immune system]]. Following a primary infection, the virus enters the nerves at the site of primary infection, migrates to the [[cell body]] of the neuron, and becomes latent in the [[ganglion]].<ref name="pmid18156035">{{cite journal |vauthors=Gupta R, Warren T, Wald A |title=Genital herpes |journal=Lancet |volume=370 |issue=9605 |pages=2127–37 |date=December 2007 |pmid=18156035 |doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61908-4 |s2cid=40916450 }}</ref> As a result of primary infection, the body produces antibodies to the particular type of HSV involved, which can help reduce the odds of subsequent infection of that type at a different site. In HSV-1-infected individuals, [[seroconversion]] after an oral infection helps prevent additional HSV-1 infections such as whitlow, genital herpes, and herpes of the eye. Prior HSV-1 seroconversion seems to reduce the symptoms of a later HSV-2 infection, although HSV-2 can still be contracted.
Other measures that have been suggested include:
* Avoidance of cross-infecting new sites on the body if HSV blisters are present
* Gentle and well lubricated as opposed to vigorous, abrasive sex
* Thorough washing of the genitals after sex
* Not ejaculating inside a partner during sex (if herpes lesions have appeared inside the urethra)
* Management of stress
* Adequate sleep and nutrition
* Use of a lip protectant or lip gloss to avoid cracks and abrasions through which the virus may infect
* Treatment using ascorbate-Cu(II) <ref>http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=15288958&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum</ref>


Many people infected with HSV-2 display no physical symptoms—individuals with no symptoms are described as asymptomatic or as having [[Subclinical infection|subclinical]] herpes.<ref name="pmid11095834">{{cite journal |author=Handsfield HH |title=Public Health Strategies to Prevent Genital Herpes: Where Do We Stand? |journal=Curr Infect Dis Rep |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=25–30 |year=2000 |pmid=11095834 |doi=10.1007/s11908-000-0084-y|s2cid=41426466 }}</ref> However, infection with herpes can be fatal.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Inquests to be held into deaths of new mothers who died from herpes |last=Marsh |first=Sarah |newspaper=The Guardian |date=30 December 2021 |url= https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/dec/30/inquests-to-be-held-into-deaths-of-new-mothers-who-died-from-herpes}}</ref>
==Future vaccines==
The [[National Institutes of Health]] (NIH) in the [[United States]] is currently in the midst of [[Clinical trial|phase III trials]] of a vaccine against HSV-2. The vaccine has only been shown to be effective for women who have never been exposed to HSV-1. Overall, the vaccine is approximately 48% effective in preventing HSV-2 seropositivity and about 78% effective in preventing symptomatic HSV-2. Assuming FDA approval, a commercial version of the vaccine is estimated to become available around 2008. During initial trials, the vaccine did not exhibit any evidence in preventing HSV-2 in males. Additionally, the vaccine only reduced the acquisition of HSV-2 and symptoms due to newly acquired HSV-2 among women who did not have HSV-1 infection at the time they got the vaccine. Because about 50% of persons in the United States have HSV-1 infection, this further reduces the population for whom this vaccine might be appropriate. The candidate vaccine is called Herpevac, and individuals who might be interested in learning about the study can easily find information at [http://www.herpesvaccine.nih.gov Herpevac Trial for Women]


===Types of herpes===
==Treatment==


{| class="wikitable"
Currently, there is no cure for herpes. There is no treatment that can eradicate herpes virus from the body at reactivations of the virus. Non-prescription [[analgesic]]s can reduce pain and fever during initial outbreaks.
|-
! Condition
! Description
! Illustration
|-
|[[Herpetic gingivostomatitis]]
| Herpetic gingivostomatitis is often the initial presentation during the first herpes infection. It is of greater severity than herpes labialis, which is often the subsequent presentation.
|[[File:Herpesgingiva.JPG|center|150px]]
|-
| [[Herpes labialis]]
| Commonly referred to as cold sores or fever blisters, herpes labialis is the most common presentation of recurrent HSV-1 infection following the re-emergence of the virus from the trigeminal nerve.
| [[File:Cold sore.jpg|center|150px]]
|-
| [[Genital herpes|Herpes genitalis]]
| When symptomatic, the typical manifestation of a primary HSV-1 or HSV-2 genital infection is clusters of inflamed [[papule]]s and [[Vesicle (dermatology)|vesicles]] on the outer surface of the genitals resembling cold sores.
| [[File:SOA-Herpes-genitalis-female.jpg|center|150px]]
|-
| [[Herpetic whitlow]] and [[herpes gladiatorum]]
| Herpes whitlow is a painful infection that typically affects the fingers or thumbs. On occasion, infection occurs on the toes or the nail cuticle. Individuals who participate in [[contact sport]]s such as [[wrestling]], [[Rugby football|rugby]], and [[association football|football]] (soccer), sometimes acquire a condition caused by HSV-1 known as [[herpes gladiatorum]], scrumpox, wrestler's herpes, or mat herpes, which presents as skin ulceration on the face, ears, and neck. Symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, and swollen glands. It occasionally affects the eyes or eyelids.
| [[File:Herpetic whitlow in young child.jpg|center|150px]]
|-
| [[Herpesviral encephalitis]] and [[herpesviral meningitis]]
| Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is a rare life-threatening condition that is thought to be caused by the transmission of HSV-1 either from the nasal cavity to the brain's [[temporal lobe]] or from a peripheral site on the face, along the [[trigeminal nerve]] [[axon]], to the [[brainstem]].<ref>{{EMedicine|article|341142|Herpes Encephalitis}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=van Riel|first1=Debby|last2=Verdijk|first2=Rob|last3=Kuiken|first3=Thijs|date=January 2015|title=The olfactory nerve: a shortcut for influenza and other viral diseases into the central nervous system|journal=The Journal of Pathology|volume=235|issue=2|pages=277–287|doi=10.1002/path.4461|issn=1096-9896|pmid=25294743|s2cid=22929529|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Esiri|first=M. M.|date=May 1982|title=Herpes simplex encephalitis. An immunohistological study of the distribution of viral antigen within the brain|journal=Journal of the Neurological Sciences|volume=54|issue=2|pages=209–226|issn=0022-510X|pmid=6284882|doi=10.1016/0022-510X(82)90183-6|s2cid=20325355}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Whitley|first1=R. J.|last2=Soong|first2=S. J.|last3=Linneman|first3=C.|last4=Liu|first4=C.|last5=Pazin|first5=G.|last6=Alford|first6=C. A.|date=1982-01-15|title=Herpes simplex encephalitis. Clinical Assessment|journal=JAMA|volume=247|issue=3|pages=317–320|issn=0098-7484|pmid=6275134|doi=10.1001/jama.1982.03320280037026}}</ref> Despite its low incidence, HSE is the most common sporadic fatal encephalitis worldwide. HSV-2 is the most common cause of Mollaret's meningitis, a type of recurrent viral meningitis.
| [[File:Hsv encephalitis.jpg|center|150px]]
|-
| [[Herpes esophagitis]]
| Symptoms may include painful swallowing ([[odynophagia]]) and difficulty swallowing ([[dysphagia]]). It is often associated with impaired immune function (e.g. [[HIV/AIDS]], [[immunosuppression]] in solid [[organ transplants]]).
| [[File:Herpes esophagitis.JPG|center|150px]]
|}


===Anti-viral Medication===
=== Other ===
There are several prescription [[antiviral]] medications for controlling herpes outbreaks, including [[aciclovir]] (''Zovirax''), [[valaciclovir]] (''Valtrex''), [[famciclovir]] (''Famvir''), and [[penciclovir]]. [[Aciclovir]] was the original and prototypical member of this class and generic brands are now available at a greatly reduced cost.


[[Neonatal herpes simplex]] is an HSV infection in an infant. It is a rare but serious condition, usually caused by [[vertical transmission]] of HSV-1 or -2 from mother to newborn. During immunodeficiency, herpes simplex can cause unusual lesions in the skin. One of the most striking is the appearance of clean linear erosions in skin creases, with the appearance of a knife cut.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Linear erosive Herpes Simplex Virus infection in immunocompromised patients: the "Knife-Cut Sign"|journal=Clin Infect Dis|year=2008|volume=47|pages=1440–41|doi=10.1086/592976|author1=Jocelyn A. Lieb |author2=Stacey Brisman |author3=Sara Herman |author4=Jennifer MacGregor |author5=Marc E. Grossman |pmid=18937574|issue=11|doi-access=}}</ref> [[Herpetic sycosis]] is a recurrent or initial herpes simplex infection affecting primarily the hair follicles.<ref name="Andrews">{{cite book|author=James, William D. |title=Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: clinical Dermatology |publisher=Saunders Elsevier |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7216-2921-6 |last2=Berger |first2=Timothy G. }}</ref>{{rp|369}} [[Eczema herpeticum]] is an infection with herpesvirus in patients with chronic [[atopic dermatitis]] may result in spread of herpes simplex throughout the eczematous areas.<ref name="Andrews" />{{rp|373}}
It has been claimed that the evidence for the effectiveness of topically applied cream for recurrent labial outbreaks is weak.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Graham Worrall | title=Evidence for efficacy of topical acyclovir in recurrent herpes labialis is weak | journal=BMJ | year=1996 | month=6 Jul | volume=313 | pages=46 | url=http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/313/7048/46/a}}- Letter</ref>
Likewise oral therapy for episodes is inappropriate for most non-immunocompromised patients, whilst there is evidence for oral prophylactic role in preventing recurrences.<ref>{{cite journal | author=Graham Worrall | title=Acyclovir in recurrent herpes labialis | journal=BMJ | year=1996 | month=6 Jan | volume=312 | pages=6 | url=http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/312/7022/6}} - Editorial</ref>


[[Herpetic keratoconjunctivitis]], a primary infection, typically presents as swelling of the [[conjunctiva]] and eyelids ([[blepharoconjunctivitis]]), accompanied by small white itchy lesions on the surface of the [[cornea]].
Valaciclovir and famciclovir are [[prodrug]]s of aciclovir and penciclovir respectively, with improved oral [[bioavailability]] (55% vs 20% and 75% vs 5% respectively). These antiviral medications work by interfering with viral replication, effectively slowing the replication rate of the virus and providing a greater opportunity for the immune response to intervene. All drugs in this class depend on the activity of the viral [[thymidine kinase]] to convert the drug to a [[monophosphate]] form and subsequently interfere with viral [[DNA replication]]. Penciclovir's primary advantage over aciclovir is that it has a far longer cellular [[biological half-life|half-life]] – 10 hours (HSV-1)/20 hours (HSV-2) for penciclovir versus 3 hours (HSV-1/2) for aciclovir.


Herpetic sycosis is a recurrent or initial herpes simplex infection affecting primarily the [[hair follicle]].<ref name="Andrews"/>{{rp|369}}<ref name="Bolognia">{{cite book |author1=Rapini, Ronald P. |author2=Bolognia, Jean L. |author3=Jorizzo, Joseph L. |title=Dermatology: 2-Volume Set |publisher=Mosby |location=St. Louis |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-4160-2999-1 }}</ref>
[[Aciclovir]] is the recommended antiviral for suppressive therapy to prevent transmission of herpes simplex to the [[neonate]]. The use of [[valaciclovir]] and [[famciclovir]], while potentially improving treatment compliance and efficacy, are still undergoing safety evaluation in this context. <ref name="Leung">


=== Bell's palsy ===
{{cite journal
| author=Leung DT, Sacks SL. | title=Current treatment options to prevent perinatal transmission of herpes simplex virus | journal=Expert Opin. Pharmacother. | year=2003 | pages=1809-1819 | volume=4 | issue=10 | id=PMID 14521490


Although the exact cause of [[Bell's palsy]]{{mdash}}a type of facial [[paralysis]]{{mdash}}is unknown, it may be related to the reactivation of HSV-1.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Tankéré F, Bernat I |title=[Bell's palsy: from viral aetiology to diagnostic reality] |language=fr |journal=Rev Méd Interne |volume=30 |issue=9 |pages=769–75 |date=September 2009 |pmid=19195745 |doi=10.1016/j.revmed.2008.12.006 }}</ref> This theory has been contested, however, since HSV is detected in large numbers of individuals having never experienced facial paralysis, and higher levels of antibodies for HSV are not found in HSV-infected individuals with Bell's palsy compared to those without.<ref name="pmid15699730">{{cite journal |vauthors=Linder T, Bossart W, Bodmer D |title=Bell's palsy and Herpes simplex virus: fact or mystery? |journal=Otol. Neurotol. |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=109–13 |date=January 2005 |pmid=15699730 |doi= 10.1097/00129492-200501000-00020|s2cid=33873521 }}</ref> Antivirals may improve the condition slightly when used together with [[corticosteroids]] in those with severe disease.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Gagyor|first1=Ildiko|last2=Madhok|first2=Vishnu B.|last3=Daly|first3=Fergus|last4=Somasundara|first4=Dhruvashree|last5=Sullivan|first5=Michael|last6=Gammie|first6=Fiona|last7=Sullivan|first7=Frank|date=2015-11-09|title=Antiviral treatment for Bell's palsy (idiopathic facial paralysis)|url=http://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/ws/files/743606/Lockhart_2010.pdf|journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews|issue=11|pages=CD001869|doi=10.1002/14651858.CD001869.pub8|issn=1469-493X|pmid=26559436}}</ref>
}}</ref> There is evidence in mice that treatment with famciclovir, rather than aciclovir, during an initial outbreak can help lower the incidence of future outbreaks by reducing the amount of latent virus in the neural ganglia. This potential effect on latency over aciclovir drops to zero a few months post-infection. <ref name=Thackray>


=== Alzheimer's disease ===
{{cite journal
| author=Thackray AM, Field HJ. | title=Differential effects of famciclovir and valaciclovir on the pathogenesis of herpes simplex virus in a murine infection model including reactivation from latency | journal=J. Infect. Dis. | year=1996 | pages=291-299 | volume=173 | issue=2 | id=PMID 8568288


HSV-1 has been proposed as a possible cause of [[Alzheimer's disease]].<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Itzhaki RF, Wozniak MA |title=Herpes simplex virus type 1 in Alzheimer's disease: the enemy within |journal=J. Alzheimers Dis. |volume=13 |issue=4 |pages=393–405 |date=May 2008 |pmid=18487848 |doi=10.3233/JAD-2008-13405 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Holmes C, Cotterell D |title=Role of infection in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease: implications for treatment |journal=CNS Drugs |volume=23 |issue=12 |pages=993–1002 |date=December 2009 |pmid=19958038 |doi=10.2165/11310910-000000000-00000 |s2cid=25248989 }}</ref> In the presence of a certain gene variation ([[Apolipoprotein E|APOE]]-epsilon4 allele carriers), HSV-1 appears to be particularly damaging to the nervous system and increases one's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The virus interacts with the components and receptors of [[lipoproteins]], which may lead to its development.<ref name="Dobson1999">{{cite journal|vauthors=Dobson CB, Itzhaki RF |title=Herpes simplex virus type 1 and Alzheimer's disease |journal=Neurobiol. Aging |volume=20 |issue=4 |pages=457–65 |year=1999 |pmid=10604441 |doi=10.1016/S0197-4580(99)00055-X|s2cid=23633290 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|author=Pyles RB |title=The association of herpes simplex virus and Alzheimer's disease: a potential synthesis of genetic and environmental factors |journal=Herpes |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages=64–68 |year=2001 |pmid=11867022}}</ref>
}}</ref>


==Pathophysiology==
===Other drugs exhibiting anti-viral activity===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right"
[[Docosanol]] (''Abreva'') is another treatment that may be effective. Docosanol works by preventing the virus from fusing to cell membranes, thus barring entry into the cell for the virus. This may keep an outbreak contained to a smaller area than would otherwise be observed.
|+ Herpes shedding<ref>{{cite book|last=Warren|first=Terri|title=The Good News about the Bad News: Herpes: Everything You Need to Know|year=2009|publisher=New Harbinger Publications|isbn=978-1-57224-618-8|page=28|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PoRB5qQXW70C&pg=PA28|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527071727/https://books.google.com/books?id=PoRB5qQXW70C&pg=PA28|archive-date=2016-05-27}}</ref>
|-
| HSV-2 genital
| 15–25% of days
|-
| HSV-1 oral
| 6–33% of days
|-
| HSV-1 genital
| 5% of days
|-
| HSV-2 oral
| 1% of days
|}
Herpes is contracted through direct contact with an active lesion or body fluid of an infected person.<ref name="titleAHMF: Preventing Sexual Transmission of Genital Herpes">{{cite web |url=http://www.ahmf.com.au/health_professionals/guidelines/preventing_gh_transmission.htm |title=AHMF: Preventing Sexual Transmission of Genital herpes |access-date=2008-02-24 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080121164311/http://www.ahmf.com.au/health_professionals/guidelines/preventing_gh_transmission.htm |archive-date = January 21, 2008}}</ref> Herpes transmission occurs between discordant partners; a person with a history of infection (HSV seropositive) can pass the virus to an HSV seronegative person. Herpes simplex virus 2 is typically contracted through direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected individual, but can also be contracted by exposure to infected saliva, semen, vaginal fluid, or the fluid from herpetic blisters.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Anita L. Nelson|author2=Jo Ann Woodward|title=Sexually Transmitted Diseases: A Practical Guide for Primary Care|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7U9ZE_8y0kwC&pg=PA50|date=2007-12-14|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|isbn=978-1-59745-040-9|pages=50–}}</ref> To infect a new individual, HSV travels through tiny breaks in the skin or mucous membranes in the mouth or genital areas. Even microscopic abrasions on mucous membranes are sufficient to allow viral entry.


HSV asymptomatic [[viral shedding|shedding]] occurs at some time in most individuals infected with herpes. It can occur more than a week before or after a symptomatic recurrence in 50% of cases.<ref name="pmid16238897"/> Virus enters into susceptible cells by entry receptors<ref>
[[Zilactin]] is an early relief cold sore/fever blister gel that works by applying the gel, which when dry forms a "shield" to prevent the sore from increasing in size and prevents spreading by breakage or oozing during the healing process.
{{cite journal| title = Viral entry mechanisms: cellular and viral mediators of herpes simplex virus entry| last1 = Akhtar| first1 = Jihan| last2 = Shukla| first2 = Deepak| journal = FEBS Journal|volume=276 |issue=24 |pages=7228–36 |date=December 2009 |pmid=19878306 |pmc=2801626 |doi=10.1111/j.1742-4658.2009.07402.x }}</ref>
such as nectin-1, HVEM and 3-O sulfated heparan sulfate.<ref>
{{cite journal| title = A Novel Role for 3-O-Sulfated Heparan Sulfate in Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Entry| journal = Cell| volume = 99| issue = 1| pages = 13–22| last1 = Shukla| first1 = Deepak| last2 = Liu| first2 = Jian| last3 = Blaiklock| first3 = Peter| last4 = Shworak| first4 = Nicholas W.| last5 = Bai| first5 = Xiaomei| last6 = Esko| first6 = Jeffrey D.| last7 = Cohen| first7 = Gary H.| last8 = Eisenberg| first8 = Roselyn| last9 = Rosenberg| first9 = Robert D.| display-authors = 8| doi = 10.1016/S0092-8674(00)80058-6| pmid = 10520990| year = 1999| s2cid = 14139940| doi-access = free}}</ref> Infected people who show no visible symptoms may still shed and transmit viruses through their skin; asymptomatic shedding may represent the most common form of HSV-2 transmission.<ref name="pmid16238897">{{cite journal |author=Leone P |title=Reducing the risk of transmitting genital herpes: advances in understanding and therapy |journal=Curr Med Res Opin |volume=21 |issue=10 |pages=1577–82 |year=2005 |pmid=16238897 |doi=10.1185/030079905X61901|s2cid=26738979 }}</ref> Asymptomatic shedding is more frequent within the first 12 months of acquiring HSV. Concurrent infection with HIV increases the frequency and duration of asymptomatic shedding.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Kim H, Meier A, Huang M, Kuntz S, Selke S, Celum C, Corey L, Wald A | title = Oral herpes simplex virus type 2 reactivation in HIV-positive and -negative men | journal = J Infect Dis | volume = 194 | issue = 4 | pages = 420–27 | year = 2006 | pmid = 16845624 | doi = 10.1086/505879| doi-access = free }}</ref> Some individuals may have much lower patterns of shedding, but evidence supporting this is not fully verified; no significant differences are seen in the frequency of asymptomatic shedding when comparing persons with one to 12 annual recurrences to those with no recurrences.<ref name="pmid16238897"/>


Antibodies that develop following an initial infection with a type of HSV can reduce the odds of reinfection with the same virus type.<ref name="wikidoc_simplex">{{cite web |title=Herpes simplex pathophysiology |url=https://www.wikidoc.org/index.php/Herpes_simplex_pathophysiology |website=WikiDoc |access-date=2021-03-06}}</ref> In a [[monogamy|monogamous]] couple, a seronegative female runs a greater than 30% per year risk of contracting an HSV infection from a seropositive male partner.<ref name=Mertz1993>{{cite journal |author = Mertz, G.J. | year = 1993 |title = Epidemiology of genital herpes infections |journal = Infect Dis Clin North Am |volume = 7 |issue = 4 |pages = 825–39 |doi = 10.1016/S0891-5520(20)30561-4 | pmid = 8106731}}</ref> If an oral HSV-1 infection is contracted first, seroconversion will have occurred after 6 weeks to provide protective antibodies against a future genital HSV-1 infection.<ref name="wikidoc_simplex"/> Herpes simplex is a double-stranded [[DNA virus]].<ref>{{cite journal |pmc = 164775 |pmid=12805441 |volume=77 |issue=13 |title=The herpes simplex virus type 1 alkaline nuclease and single-stranded DNA binding protein mediate strand exchange in vitro |year=2003 |journal=J. Virol. |pages=7425–33 |vauthors=Reuven NB, Staire AE, Myers RS, Weller SK |doi=10.1128/jvi.77.13.7425-7433.2003}}</ref>
[[Tromantadine]] is another antiviral drug effective against herpes.


===Other drugs===
==Diagnosis==
===Classification===
[[Cimetidine]], a common component of heartburn medication, has been shown to lessen the severity of herpes zoster outbreaks in several different instances, and offered some relief from herpes simplex <ref name=kapinska>
Herpes simplex virus is divided into two types.<ref name=Peds09/> However, each may cause infections in all areas.<ref name=Peds09/>
# HSV-1 causes primarily mouth, throat, face, eye, and [[central nervous system]] infections.<ref name=Peds09/>
# HSV-2 causes primarily anogenital infections.<ref name=Peds09/>


===Examination===
{{cite journal
Primary orofacial herpes is readily identified by examination of persons with no previous history of lesions and contact with an individual with known HSV infection. The appearance and distribution of sores is typically presents as multiple, round, superficial oral ulcers, accompanied by acute [[gingivitis]].<ref name="pmid17939933">{{cite journal |vauthors=Fatahzadeh M, Schwartz RA |title=Human herpes simplex virus infections: epidemiology, pathogenesis, symptomatology, diagnosis, and management |journal=J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. |volume=57 |issue=5 |pages=737–63; quiz 764–6 |year=2007 |pmid=17939933 |doi=10.1016/j.jaad.2007.06.027}}</ref> Adults with atypical presentation are more difficult to diagnose. Prodromal symptoms that occur before the appearance of herpetic lesions help differentiate HSV symptoms from the similar symptoms of other disorders, such as [[allergy|allergic]] [[stomatitis]]. When lesions do not appear inside the mouth, primary orofacial herpes is sometimes mistaken for [[impetigo]], a bacterial [[infection]]. Common mouth ulcers ([[aphthous ulcer]]) also resemble intraoral herpes, but do not present a [[Vesicle (dermatology)|vesicular]] stage.<ref name="pmid17939933"/>
| author=Kapinska-Mrowiecka M, Toruwski G | title=Efficacy of cimetidine in treatment of herpes zoster in the first 5 days from the moment of disease manifestation. | journal= Pol Tyg Lek. | year=1996. | pages=338-339 | volume=51 | issue=23-26 | id=PMID 9273526
}}</ref>
<ref name=hayne>


Genital herpes can be more difficult to diagnose than oral herpes, since most people have none of the classical symptoms.<ref name="pmid17939933"/> Further confusing diagnosis, several other conditions resemble genital herpes, including [[Fungal infection in animals|fungal infection]], [[lichen planus]], [[atopic dermatitis]], and [[urethritis]].<ref name="pmid17939933"/>
{{cite journal
| author=Hayne ST, Mercer JB | title=Herpes zoster:treatment with cemetidine. | journal=Can Med Assoc J | year= 1983 | pages=1284-1285 | volume=129 | issue=12 | id=PMID 6652595
}}</ref>
<ref name=komlos>


===Laboratory testing===
{{cite journal
[[Laboratory]] testing is often used to confirm a diagnosis of genital herpes. Laboratory tests include culture of the virus, [[direct fluorescent antibody]] (DFA) studies to detect virus, [[skin biopsy]], and [[polymerase chain reaction]] to test for presence of viral DNA. Although these procedures produce highly sensitive and specific diagnoses, their high costs and time constraints discourage their regular use in clinical practice.<ref name="pmid17939933"/>
| author=Komlos L, Notmann J, Arieli J, et.al. | title=In vitro cell-mediated immune reactions in herpes zoster patients treated with cimetidine. | journal=Asian Pac J Allelrgy Immunol | year= 1994 | pages=51-58 | volume=12 | issue=1 | id=PMID 7872992
}}
</ref>
. This is an [[off-label use]] of the drug.


Until the 1980s [[Serology|serological]] tests for antibodies to HSV were rarely useful to diagnosis and not routinely used in clinical practice.<ref name="pmid17939933"/> The older IgM serologic assay could not differentiate between antibodies generated in response to HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection. However, a glycoprotein G-specific (IgG) HSV test introduced in the 1980s is more than 98% specific at discriminating HSV-1 from HSV-2.<ref name="ClinMicro1988;26:662-667">{{cite journal |vauthors=Ashley RL, etal |title=Comparison of Western blot (immunoblot) and glycoprotein G-specific immunodot enzyme assay for detecting antibodies to herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 in human sera |journal=J. Clin. Microbiol. |volume=26 |issue=4 |pages=662–67 |year=1988 |pmid=2835389 |pmc=266403 |doi=10.1128/JCM.26.4.662-667.1988 }}</ref>
It and [[probenecid]] have been shown to reduce the renal clearance of aciclovir. <ref name=debony>


===Differential diagnosis===
{{cite journal
It should not be confused with conditions caused by other viruses in the ''[[herpesviridae]]'' family such as [[herpes zoster]] (also known as shingles), which is caused by [[varicella zoster virus]]. The [[differential diagnosis]] includes [[hand, foot and mouth disease]] due to similar lesions on the skin. [[Lymphangioma circumscriptum]] and [[dermatitis herpetiformis]] may also have a similar appearance.
| author=De Bony F, Tod M, Bidault R, On NT, Posner J, Rolan P. | title=Multiple interactions of cimetidine and probenecid with valaciclovir and its metabolite acyclovir | journal=Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. | year=2002 | pages=458-463 | volume=46 | issue=2 | id=PMID 11796358


==Prevention==
}}</ref> The study showed these compounds reduce the rate, but not the extent, at which valaciclovir is converted into aciclovir. Renal clearance of aciclovir was reduced by approximately 24% and 33% respectively. In addition, respective increases in the peak plasma concentration of acyclovir of 8% and 22% were observed. The authors concluded that these effects were "not expected to have clinical consequences regarding the safety of valaciclovir". Due to the tendency of aciclovir to precipitate in renal tubules, combining these drugs should only occur under the supervision of a physician.
As with almost all sexually transmitted infections, women are more susceptible to acquiring genital HSV-2 than men.<ref>{{cite news |author=Carla K. Johnson |title=Percentage of people with herpes drops |url=http://www.aegis.com/news/ap/2006/ap060840.html |access-date=2011-04-12 |agency=Associated Press |date= August 23, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318125331/http://www.aegis.com/news/ap/2006/ap060840.html |archive-date=2012-03-18 |url-status=dead}}</ref> On an annual basis, without the use of antivirals or condoms, the transmission risk of HSV-2 from infected male to female is about 8–11%.<ref name=Mertz1993/><ref name=Kulhanjian1992>{{cite journal |doi=10.1056/NEJM199204023261403 |author=Kulhanjian J A |title=Identification of women at unsuspected risk of primary infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 during pregnancy |journal=N. Engl. J. Med. |volume=326 |issue=14 |pages=916–20 |pmid=1311799 |date=April 2, 1992 |name-list-style=vanc |author2=Soroush V |author3=Au DS |display-authors=3 |last4=Bronzan |first4=Rachel N. |last5=Yasukawa |first5=Linda L. |last6=Weylman |first6=Laura E. |last7=Arvin |first7=Ann M. |last8=Prober |first8=Charles G. |doi-access=free}}</ref> This is believed to be due to the increased exposure of mucosal tissue to potential infection sites. Transmission risk from infected female to male is around 4–5% annually.<ref name=Kulhanjian1992/> Suppressive antiviral therapy reduces these risks by 50%.<ref name=Corey2004>{{cite journal|author=Corey L|title=Once-daily valacyclovir to reduce the risk of transmission of genital herpes|journal=N Engl J Med|volume=350|issue=1|pages=11–20|date=January 2004|pmid=14702423|doi=10.1056/NEJMoa035144|name-list-style=vanc|author2=Wald A|author3=Patel R|display-authors=3|last4=Sacks|first4=Stephen L.|last5=Tyring|first5=Stephen K.|last6=Warren|first6=Terri|last7=Douglas|first7=John M.|last8=Paavonen|first8=Jorma|last9=Morrow|first9=R. Ashley|s2cid=21573428|doi-access=free}}</ref> Antivirals also help prevent the development of symptomatic HSV in infection scenarios, meaning the infected partner will be seropositive but symptom-free by about 50%. Condom use also reduces the transmission risk significantly.<ref name=Wald>{{cite journal | vauthors=Wald A, Langenberg AG, Link K, Izu AE, Ashley R, Warren T, Tyring S, ((Douglas JM Jr)), Corey L | title=Effect of condoms on reducing the transmission of herpes simplex virus type 2 from men to women | journal=JAMA | year=2001 | pages=3100–06 | volume=285 | issue=24 | pmid=11427138 | doi=10.1001/jama.285.24.3100 | doi-access= }}</ref><ref name=Wald2005>{{cite journal|author=Wald A|title=The relationship between condom use and herpes simplex virus acquisition|journal=Annals of Internal Medicine|volume=143|issue=10|pages=707–13|date=November 2005|pmid=16287791|name-list-style=vanc|author2=Langenberg AG|author3=Krantz E|display-authors=3|last4=Douglas Jr|first4=JM|last5=Handsfield|first5=HH|last6=Dicarlo|first6=RP|last7=Adimora|first7=AA|last8=Izu|first8=AE|last9=Morrow|first9=RA|doi=10.7326/0003-4819-143-10-200511150-00007|s2cid=37342783}}</ref> Condom use is much more effective at preventing male-to-female transmission than ''vice versa''.<ref name=Wald/> Previous HSV-1 infection may reduce the risk for acquisition of HSV-2 infection among women by a factor of three, although the one study that states this has a small sample size of 14 transmissions out of 214 couples.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Mertz |first=GJ |author2=Benedetti J |author3=Ashley R |author4=Selke SA |author5=Corey L. |title=Risk factors for the sexual transmission of genital herpes |journal=Annals of Internal Medicine |date=1 February 1992 |volume=116 |issue=3 |pages=197–202 |pmid=1309413 |doi=10.7326/0003-4819-116-3-197|s2cid=40143915 }}</ref>


However, asymptomatic carriers of the HSV-2 virus are still contagious. In many infections, the first symptom people will have of their own infections is the horizontal transmission to a sexual partner or the vertical transmission of neonatal herpes to a newborn at term. Since most asymptomatic individuals are unaware of their infection, they are considered at high risk for spreading HSV.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/STDFact-herpes-detailed.htm#ref21 |title=Genital Herpes – CDC Fact Sheet |publisher=Center for Disease Control and Prevention |access-date=2014-01-30 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140130165350/http://www.cdc.gov/std/Herpes/STDFact-herpes-detailed.htm#ref21 |archive-date=2014-01-30 }}</ref>
===Availability of non-generic prescriptions===
* [[Valaciclovir]] ([[GlaxoSmithKline]]) is protected under {{US patent|4957924}} protection expiring June 2009
* [[Famciclovir]] ([[Novartis]]) is protected under {{US patent|5246937}} protection expiring Sept 2010
* [[Penciclovir]] ([[GlaxoSmithKline]]) is protected under {{US patent|5075445}} protection expiring Sept 2010
* [[Docosanol]] ([[Avanir]]) is protected under {{US patent|4874794}} protection expiring April 2014


In October 2011, the anti-HIV drug [[tenofovir]], when used topically in a microbicidal vaginal gel, was reported to reduce herpes virus sexual transmission by 51%.<ref>McNeil DG. [https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/21/health/research/21herpes.html Topical Tenofovir, a Microbicide Effective against HIV, Inhibits Herpes Simplex Virus-2 Replication] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409082250/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/21/health/research/21herpes.html |date=2017-04-09 }}. ''NY Times''. Research article: {{cite journal|date=October 2011|title=Topical Tenofovir, a Microbicide Effective against HIV, Inhibits Herpes Simplex Virus-2 Replication|journal= Cell Host & Microbe|volume=10|issue=4|pages=379–89|doi=10.1016/j.chom.2011.08.015|pmc=3201796|pmid=22018238|author1=Andrei G|author2=Lisco A|author3=Vanpouille C|display-authors=etal}}</ref>
===Availability of generic prescriptions===
* [[Acyclovir]] is no longer under US patent protection, available in generic form


===Drugs in development===
===Barrier methods===
Condoms offer moderate protection against HSV-2 in both men and women, with consistent condom users having a 30%-lower risk of HSV-2 acquisition compared with those who never use condoms.<ref name=Martin>{{cite journal | vauthors = Martin ET, Krantz E, Gottlieb SL, Magaret AS, Langenberg A, Stanberry L, Kamb M, Wald A | title = A pooled analysis of the effect of condoms in preventing HSV-2 acquisition | journal = Archives of Internal Medicine | volume = 169 | issue = 13 | pages = 1233–40 | date = July 2009 | pmid = 19597073 | pmc = 2860381 | doi = 10.1001/archinternmed.2009.177 }}</ref> A [[female condom]] can provide greater protection than the male condom, as it covers the labia.<ref>{{cite web | publisher = UBM Medica | url = http://www.obgyn.net/femalepatient/femalepatient.asp?page=herpes_tfp | title = Putting Herpes in Perspective | access-date = 20 July 2011 | archive-date = 25 February 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210225150028/https://www.contemporaryobgyn.net/femalepatient/femalepatient.asp?page=herpes_tfp | url-status = dead }}</ref> The virus cannot pass through a synthetic condom, but a male condom's effectiveness is limited<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/condomeffectiveness/latex.htm|title=Condom Effectiveness – Male Latex Condoms and Sexually Transmitted Diseases|publisher=Center for Disease Control and Prevention|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002073943/http://www.cdc.gov/condomeffectiveness/latex.htm|archive-date=2011-10-02|url-status=live|access-date=2011-10-01}}</ref> because herpes ulcers may appear on areas not covered by it. Neither type of condom prevents contact with the scrotum, anus, buttocks, or upper thighs, areas that may come in contact with ulcers or genital secretions during sexual activity. Protection against herpes simplex depends on the site of the ulcer; therefore, if ulcers appear on areas not covered by condoms, abstaining from sexual activity until the ulcers are fully healed is one way to limit risk of transmission.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/stdfact-herpes.htm|title=STD Facts – Genital Herpes|publisher=Center for Disease Control and Prevention|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001182509/http://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/stdfact-herpes.htm|archive-date=2011-10-01|url-status=live|access-date=2011-10-01}}</ref> The risk is not eliminated, however, as viral shedding capable of transmitting infection may still occur while the infected partner is asymptomatic.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Koelle |first=D.M. |author2=Wald, A. |title=Herpes simplex virus: The importance of asymptomatic shedding |date=April 2000 |journal=J. Antimicrob. Chemother. |volume=45 |issue=Suppl T3 |pages=1–8 |pmid=10855766 |doi=10.1093/jac/45.suppl_4.1|doi-access=free }}</ref> The use of condoms or [[dental dams]] also limits the transmission of herpes from the genitals of one partner to the mouth of the other (or ''vice versa'') during [[oral sex]]. When one partner has a herpes simplex infection and the other does not, the use of antiviral medication, such as [[valaciclovir]], in conjunction with a condom, further decreases the chances of transmission to the uninfected partner.<ref name="pmid18156035"/> Topical [[microbicide]]s that contain chemicals that directly inactivate the virus and block viral entry are being investigated.<ref name="pmid18156035"/>
* ''BAY 57-1293'', a [[primosome|helicase-primase]] inhibitor researched by [[Bayer AG]] scientist Gerald Kleymann's team in Wuppertal, Germany. <ref name=Winstead>


===Antivirals===
{{cite web |
Antivirals may reduce asymptomatic shedding; asymptomatic genital HSV-2 viral shedding is believed to occur on 20% of days per year in patients not undergoing antiviral treatment, versus 10% of days while on antiviral therapy.<ref name="pmid16238897"/>
author=Winstead ER.| publisher=Genome News Network | publishyear=2002 | url=http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/articles/04_02/herpes.shtml | title=Two new anti-herpes drugs tested | accessdate=2006-03-20


===Pregnancy===
}}</ref><ref name=Kleymann>
The risk of transmission from mother to baby is highest if the mother becomes infected around the time of delivery (30% to 60%),<ref>{{cite journal|author=Brown ZA|title=The acquisition of herpes simplex virus during pregnancy|journal=N Engl J Med|volume=337|pages=509–15|year=1997|doi=10.1056/NEJM199708213370801|pmid=9262493|name-list-style=vanc|author2=Selke S|author3=Zeh J|display-authors=3|last4=Kopelman|first4=Jerome|last5=Maslow|first5=Arthur|last6=Ashley|first6=Rhoda L.|last7=Watts|first7=D. Heather|last8=Berry|first8=Sylvia|last9=Herd|first9=Millie|issue=8|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Brown ZA, Wald A, Morrow RA, Selke S, Zeh J, Corey L |title=Effect of serologic status and cesarean delivery on transmission rates of herpes simplex virus from mother to infant|journal=JAMA|volume=289|pages=203–09|year=2003|doi=10.1001/jama.289.2.203|pmid=12517231|issue=2|doi-access=free}}</ref> since insufficient time will have occurred for the generation and transfer of protective maternal antibodies before the birth of the child. In contrast, the risk falls to 3% if the infection is recurrent,<ref name=pmid1849612/> and is 1–3% if the woman is seropositive for both HSV-1 and HSV-2,<ref name=pmid1849612>{{cite journal |author=Brown ZA |title=Neonatal herpes simplex virus infection in relation to asymptomatic maternal infection at the time of labor |journal=N. Engl. J. Med. |volume=324 |issue=18 |pages=1247–52 |date=May 1991 |pmid=1849612 |doi= 10.1056/NEJM199105023241804 |name-list-style=vanc|author2=Benedetti J |author3=Ashley R |display-authors=3 |last4=Burchett |first4=Sandra |last5=Selke |first5=Stacy |last6=Berry |first6=Sylvia |last7=Vontver |first7=Louis A. |last8=Corey |first8=Lawrence|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=Whitley_RJ>{{cite journal|vauthors=Whitley RJ, Kimberlin DW, Roizman B | title=Herpes simplex viruses| journal=Clin Infect Dis| year=1998| pages=541–53| volume=26| issue=3| pmid=9524821|doi=10.1086/514600| doi-access=free}}</ref> and is less than 1% if no lesions are visible.<ref name=pmid1849612/> Women seropositive for only one type of HSV are only half as likely to transmit HSV as infected seronegative mothers. To prevent neonatal infections, seronegative women are recommended to avoid unprotected oral-genital contact with an HSV-1-seropositive partner and conventional sex with a partner having a genital infection during the last trimester of pregnancy. Mothers infected with HSV are advised to avoid procedures that would cause trauma to the infant during birth (e.g. fetal scalp electrodes, forceps, and vacuum extractors) and, should lesions be present, to elect [[caesarean section]] to reduce exposure of the child to infected secretions in the birth canal.<ref name="pmid18156035"/> The use of antiviral treatments, such as aciclovir, given from the 36th week of pregnancy, limits HSV recurrence and shedding during childbirth, thereby reducing the need for caesarean section.<ref name="pmid18156035"/>


Aciclovir is the recommended antiviral for herpes suppressive therapy during the last months of pregnancy. The use of valaciclovir and famciclovir, while potentially improving compliance, have less-well-determined safety in pregnancy.
{{cite journal
| author=Kleymann G, Fischer R, Betz UA, Hendrix M, Bender W, Schneider U, Handke G, Eckenberg P, Hewlett G, Pevzner V, Baumeister J, Weber O, Henninger K, Keldenich J, Jensen A, Kolb J, Bach U, Popp A, Maben J, Frappa I, Haebich D, Lockhoff O, Rubsamen-Waigmann H. | title=New helicase-primase inhibitors as drug candidates for the treatment of herpes simplex disease | journal=Nat. Med. | year=2002 | pages=392-398 | volume=8 | issue=4 | id=PMID 11927946


==Management==
}}</ref>
No method eradicates herpes virus from the body, but antiviral medications can reduce the frequency, duration, and severity of outbreaks. [[Analgesic]]s such as [[ibuprofen]] and [[paracetamol]] (acetaminophen) can reduce pain and fever. Topical anesthetic treatments such as [[prilocaine]], [[lidocaine]], [[benzocaine]], or [[tetracaine]] can also relieve itching and pain.<ref name="pmid3147021">{{cite journal |vauthors=O'Mahony C, Timms MS, Ramsden RT |title=Local anesthetic creams |journal=BMJ |volume=297 |issue=6661 |page=1468 |date=December 1988 |pmid=3147021 |pmc=1835116 |doi=10.1136/bmj.297.6661.1468-a}}</ref><ref name="pmid10570387">{{cite journal |author=Kaminester LH |title=A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of topical tetracaine in the treatment of herpes labialis |journal=J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. |volume=41 |issue=6 |pages=996–1001 |date=December 1999 |pmid=10570387 |doi= 10.1016/S0190-9622(99)70260-4 |name-list-style=vanc|author2=Pariser RJ |author3=Pariser DM |display-authors=3 |last4=Weiss |first4=Jonathan S. |last5=Shavin |first5=Joel S. |last6=Landsman |first6=Larry |last7=Haines |first7=Harold G. |last8=Osborne |first8=David W.}}</ref><ref name="Leung">{{cite journal |vauthors=Leung DT, Sacks SL |title=Current treatment options to prevent perinatal transmission of herpes simplex virus |journal=Expert Opin Pharmacother |volume=4 |issue=10 |pages=1809–19 |date=October 2003 |pmid=14521490 |doi=10.1517/14656566.4.10.1809 |s2cid=33261337 }}</ref>


===Antiviral===
* ''BILS 179 BS'', ''BILS 45 BS'', ''BILS 22 BS'', also inhibitors of helicase-primase enzyme, researched in Ridgefield, Connecticut, by James Crute's team at [[Boehringer Ingelheim]] Pharmaceuticals. <ref name=Crute>
[[File:Acyclovir pills.jpg|thumb|The antiviral medication aciclovir]]
Several [[antiviral drug]]s are effective for treating herpes, including [[aciclovir]] (acyclovir), [[valaciclovir]], [[famciclovir]], and [[penciclovir]]. Aciclovir was the first discovered and is now available in [[generic medications|generic]].<ref>{{cite book|author = Robert L. LaFemina|title=Antiviral research : strategies in antiviral drug discovery|year=2009|publisher=ASM Press|location=Washington, DC|isbn=978-1-55581-439-7|pages=1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kyXjngXgU5YC&pg=PA1|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502123637/https://books.google.com/books?id=kyXjngXgU5YC&pg=PA1|archive-date=2016-05-02}}</ref> Valaciclovir is also available as a generic<ref>{{cite book|last=Agrawal|first=Caroline A. Hastings, Joseph Torkildson, Anurag Kishor|title=Handbook of pediatric hematology and oncology : Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|location=Chichester, West Sussex|isbn=978-0-470-67088-0|pages=360|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H4t4PjtC730C&pg=PA360|edition=2nd|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160430224839/https://books.google.com/books?id=H4t4PjtC730C&pg=PA360|archive-date=2016-04-30|date=2012-04-30}}</ref> and is slightly more effective than aciclovir for reducing lesion healing time.<ref name="ChenXu2017">{{cite journal|last1=Chen|first1=Fangman|last2=Xu|first2=Hao|last3=Liu|first3=Jinli|last4=Cui|first4=Yuan|last5=Luo|first5=Xiaobo|last6=Zhou|first6=Yu|last7=Chen|first7=Qianming|last8=Jiang|first8=Lu|title=Efficacy and safety of nucleoside antiviral drugs for treatment of recurrent herpes labialis: a systematic review and meta-analysis|journal=Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine|volume=46|issue=8|pages=561–568|year=2017|issn=0904-2512|doi=10.1111/jop.12534|pmid=27935123|s2cid=10391761}}</ref>


Evidence supports the use of aciclovir and valaciclovir in the treatment of herpes labialis<ref name=Best07>{{cite journal |vauthors=Chon T, Nguyen L, Elliott TC |title=Clinical inquiries. What are the best treatments for herpes labialis? |journal=J Fam Pract |volume=56 |issue=7 |pages=576–78 |date=July 2007 |pmid=17605952 }}</ref> as well as herpes infections in people with [[cancer]].<ref name="pmid19160295">{{cite journal | vauthors = Glenny AM, Fernandez Mauleffinch LM, Pavitt S, Walsh T | title = Interventions for the prevention and treatment of herpes simplex virus in patients being treated for cancer | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | issue = 1 | pages = CD006706 | date = January 2009 | pmid = 19160295 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD006706.pub2}}</ref> The evidence to support the use of aciclovir in primary herpetic gingivostomatitis is weaker.<ref name="pmid18843726">{{cite journal | vauthors = Nasser M, Fedorowicz Z, Khoshnevisan MH, Shahiri Tabarestani M | title = Acyclovir for treating primary herpetic gingivostomatitis | journal = The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | issue = 4 | pages = CD006700 | date = October 2008 | pmid = 18843726 | doi = 10.1002/14651858.CD006700.pub2| editor1-last = Nasser | editor1-first = Mona }} {{Retracted|doi=10.1002/14651858.CD006700.pub3|pmid=26784280|http://retractionwatch.com/2010/09/20/progressive-how-the-cochrane-library-handles-updates-in-progress/ ''Retraction Watch''}}</ref>
{{cite journal
| author=Crute JJ, Grygon CA, Hargrave KD, Simoneau B, Faucher AM, Bolger G, Kibler P, Liuzzi M, Cordingley MG. | title=Herpes simplex virus helicase-primase inhibitors are active in animal models of human disease | journal=Nat. Med. | year=2002 | pages=386-391 | volume=8 | issue=4 | id=PMID 11927945


===Topical===
}}</ref><ref name=Liuzzi>
A number of [[topical]] antivirals are effective for herpes labialis, including aciclovir, penciclovir, and [[docosanol]].<ref name=Best07/><ref>{{cite journal |vauthors = Treister NS, Woo SB |title=Topical n-docosanol for management of recurrent herpes labialis |journal=Expert Opin Pharmacother |volume=11 |issue=5 |pages=853–60 |date=April 2010 |pmid=20210688 |doi=10.1517/14656561003691847 |s2cid=26237384 }}</ref>


===Alternative medicine===
{{cite journal
Evidence is insufficient to support use of many of these compounds, including [[echinacea]], [[eleuthero]], [[L-lysine]], [[zinc]], [[monolaurin]] bee products, and [[aloe vera]].<ref name="pmid16209859">{{cite journal |vauthors=Perfect MM, Bourne N, Ebel C, Rosenthal SL |title=Use of complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of genital herpes |journal=Herpes |volume=12 |issue=2 |pages=38–41 |date=October 2005 |pmid=16209859 }}</ref> While a number of small studies show possible benefit from monolaurin, L-lysine, [[aspirin]], lemon balm, topical zinc, or licorice root cream in treatment, these preliminary studies have not been confirmed by higher-quality [[randomized controlled studies]].<ref>{{cite journal |last=Beauman |first=JG |title=Genital herpes: a review. |journal=American Family Physician |date=Oct 15, 2005 |volume=72 |issue=8 |pages=1527–34 |pmid=16273819}}</ref>
| author=Liuzzi M, Kibler P, Bousquet C, Harji F, Bolger G, Garneau M, Lapeyre N, McCollum RS, Faucher AM, Simoneau B, Cordingley MG. | title=Isolation and characterization of herpes simplex virus type 1 resistant to aminothiazolylphenyl-based inhibitors of the viral helicase-primase | journal=Antiviral Res. | year=2004 | pages=161-170 | volume=64 | issue=3 | id=PMID 15550269


==Prognosis==
}}</ref>
Following active infection, herpes viruses establish a [[Virus latency|latent]] infection in sensory and autonomic [[ganglia]] of the nervous system. The double-stranded DNA of the virus is incorporated into the cell physiology by infection of the [[cell nucleus|nucleus]] of a nerve's [[Soma (biology)|cell body]]. HSV latency is static; no virus is produced; and is controlled by a number of viral genes, including [[HHV LAT|latency-associated transcript]].<ref name="pmid12409612">{{cite journal |vauthors=Stumpf MP, Laidlaw Z, Jansen VA |title=Herpes viruses hedge their bets |journal=Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. |volume=99 |issue=23 |pages=15234–37 |year=2002 |pmid=12409612 |doi=10.1073/pnas.232546899 |pmc=137573 |bibcode=2002PNAS...9915234S |doi-access=free }}</ref>


Many HSV-infected people experience recurrence within the first year of infection.<ref name="pmid18156035"/> [[Prodrome]] precedes development of lesions. Prodromal symptoms include tingling ([[paresthesia]]), itching, and pain where lumbosacral nerves innervate the skin. Prodrome may occur as long as several days or as short as a few hours before lesions develop. Beginning antiviral treatment when prodrome is experienced can reduce the appearance and duration of lesions in some individuals. During recurrence, fewer lesions are likely to develop and are less painful and heal faster (within 5–10 days without antiviral treatment) than those occurring during the primary infection.<ref name="pmid18156035"/> Subsequent outbreaks tend to be periodic or episodic, occurring on average four or five times a year when not using antiviral therapy.
* [[Seliciclib|Roscovitine]] is an inhibitor of cellular [[cyclin]]-dependent [[kinase]] and seems to prevent transcription of viral genomes. Roscovitine has entered clinical trials for [[HIV]] infection. <ref name=Schang>


The causes of reactivation are uncertain, but several potential triggers have been documented. A 2009 study showed the protein [[Herpes simplex virus protein vmw65|VP16]] plays a key role in reactivation of the dormant virus.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Thompson|first1=Richard L.|last2=Preston|first2=Chris M.|last3=Sawtell|first3=Nancy M.|date=2009-03-01|title=De novo synthesis of VP16 coordinates the exit from HSV latency in vivo|journal=PLOS Pathogens|volume=5|issue=3|pages=e1000352|doi=10.1371/journal.ppat.1000352|issn=1553-7374|pmc=2654966|pmid=19325890 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Changes in the immune system during [[menstruation]] may play a role in HSV-1 reactivation.<ref name="pmid11022124">{{cite journal |vauthors=Myśliwska J, Trzonkowski P, Bryl E, Lukaszuk K, Myśliwski A |title=Lower interleukin-2 and higher serum tumor necrosis factor-a levels are associated with perimenstrual, recurrent, facial herpes simplex infection in young women |journal=Eur. Cytokine Netw. |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=397–406 |year=2000 |pmid=11022124 }}</ref><ref name="pmid4526372">{{cite journal |vauthors=Segal AL, Katcher AH, Brightman VJ, Miller MF |title=Recurrent herpes labialis, recurrent aphthous ulcers, and the menstrual cycle |journal=J. Dent. Res. |volume=53 |issue=4 |pages=797–803 |year=1974 |pmid=4526372 |doi=10.1177/00220345740530040501|s2cid=43134857 }}</ref> Concurrent infections, such as viral [[upper respiratory tract infection]] or other febrile diseases, can cause outbreaks. Reactivation due to other infections is the likely source of the historic terms 'cold sore' and 'fever blister'.
{{cite journal
| author=Schang LM, Coccaro E, Lacasse JJ. | title=Cdk inhibitory nucleoside analogs prevent transcription from viral genomes. | journal=Nucleosides Nucleotides Nucleic Acids. | year=2005 | pages=829-837 | volume=24 | issue=5-7 | id=PMID 16248044


Other identified triggers include local injury to the face, lips, eyes, or mouth; trauma; surgery; [[radiotherapy]]; and exposure to wind, [[ultraviolet light]], or sunlight.<ref name="pmid18083428">{{cite journal |vauthors=Chambers A, Perry M |title=Salivary mediated autoinoculation of herpes simplex virus on the face in the absence of "cold sores," after trauma |journal=J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg. |volume=66 |issue=1 |pages=136–38 |year=2008 |pmid=18083428 |doi=10.1016/j.joms.2006.07.019}}</ref><ref name="pmid2821086">{{cite journal |vauthors=Perna JJ, Mannix ML, Rooney JF, Notkins AL, Straus SE |title=Reactivation of latent herpes simplex virus infection by ultraviolet light: a human model |journal=J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. |volume=17 |issue=3 |pages=473–78 |year=1987 |pmid=2821086 |doi=10.1016/S0190-9622(87)70232-1|url= https://zenodo.org/record/1259937}}</ref><ref name="pmid1323616">{{cite journal |author=Rooney JF |title=UV light-induced reactivation of herpes simplex virus type 2 and prevention by acyclovir |journal=J. Infect. Dis. |volume=166 |issue=3 |pages=500–06 |year=1992 |pmid=1323616 |doi=10.1093/infdis/166.3.500 |name-list-style=vanc|author2=Straus SE |author3=Mannix ML |display-authors=3 |last4=Wohlenberg |first4=CR |last5=Banks |first5=S |last6=Jagannath |first6=S |last7=Brauer |first7=JE |last8=Notkins |first8=AL}}</ref><ref name="pmid9377190">{{cite journal |vauthors=Oakley C, Epstein JB, Sherlock CH |title=Reactivation of oral herpes simplex virus: implications for clinical management of herpes simplex virus recurrence during radiotherapy |journal=Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod |volume=84 |issue=3 |pages=272–78 |year=1997 |pmid=9377190 |doi=10.1016/S1079-2104(97)90342-5}}</ref><ref name="pmid15603217">{{cite journal |vauthors=Ichihashi M, Nagai H, Matsunaga K |title=Sunlight is an important causative factor of recurrent herpes simplex |journal=Cutis |volume=74 |issue=5 Suppl |pages=14–18 |year=2004 |pmid=15603217 }}</ref>
}}</ref><ref name=Diwan>


The frequency and severity of recurrent outbreaks vary greatly between people. Some individuals' outbreaks can be quite debilitating, with large, painful lesions persisting for several weeks, while others experience only minor itching or burning for a few days. Some evidence indicates genetics play a role in the frequency of cold sore outbreaks. An area of human chromosome 21 that includes six genes has been linked to frequent oral herpes outbreaks. An immunity to the virus is built over time. Most infected individuals experience fewer outbreaks and outbreak symptoms often become less severe. After several years, some people become perpetually [[asymptomatic]] and no longer experience outbreaks, though they may still be contagious to others. Immunocompromised individuals may experience longer, more frequent, and more severe episodes. Antiviral medication has been proven to shorten the frequency and duration of outbreaks.<ref name="pmid18192785">{{cite journal |vauthors=Martinez V, Caumes E, Chosidow O |title=Treatment to prevent recurrent genital herpes |journal=Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases |volume=21 |issue=1 |pages=42–48 |year=2008 |pmid=18192785 |doi=10.1097/QCO.0b013e3282f3d9d3|s2cid=25681412 }}</ref> Outbreaks may occur at the original site of the infection or in proximity to nerve endings that reach out from the infected ganglia. In the case of a genital infection, sores can appear at the original site of infection or near the base of the spine, the buttocks, or the back of the thighs. HSV-2-infected individuals are at higher risk for acquiring HIV when practicing unprotected sex with HIV-positive persons, in particular during an outbreak with active lesions.<ref name="pmid18186706">{{cite journal |vauthors=Koelle DM, Corey L |title=Herpes Simplex: Insights on Pathogenesis and Possible Vaccines |journal=Annu Rev Med |volume=59 |pages=381–95|year=2008 |pmid=18186706 |doi=10.1146/annurev.med.59.061606.095540}}</ref>
{{cite journal
| author=Diwan P, Lacasse JJ, Schang LM. | title=Roscovitine inhibits activation of promoters in herpes simplex virus type 1 genomes independently of promoter-specific factors | journal=J. Virol. | year=2004 | pages=9352-9365 | volume=78 | issue=17 | id=PMID 15308730


==Epidemiology==
}}</ref><ref name=Schang2>
{{Main|Epidemiology of herpes simplex}}
Worldwide rates of either HSV-1 and/or HSV-2 are between 60 and 95% in adults.<ref name=Peds09/> HSV-1 is more common than HSV-2, with rates of both increasing as people age.<ref name=Peds09/> HSV-1 rates are between 70% and 80% in populations of low socioeconomic status and 40% to 60% in populations of improved socioeconomic status.<ref name=Peds09/> An estimated 536 million people or 16% of the population worldwide were infected with HSV-2 as of 2003 with greater rates among women and in those in the developing world.<ref name="Looker2008"/> Rates of infection are determined by the presence of [[antibodies]] against either [[viral species]].<ref name="pmid12353183">{{cite journal |vauthors=Smith JS, Robinson NJ |title=Age-specific prevalence of infection with herpes simplex virus types 2 and 1: a global review |journal=J. Infect. Dis. |volume=186 |issue=Suppl 1 |pages=S3–28 |year=2002 |pmid=12353183 |doi=10.1086/343739|doi-access=free }}</ref>


In the [[United States|US]], 58% of the population is infected with HSV-1<ref name="JAMA. 2006;296:964-973.">{{cite journal|last=Xu|first=Fujie|author2=Fujie Xu|author3=Maya R. Sternberg|author4=Benny J. Kottiri|author5=Geraldine M. McQuillan|author6=Francis K. Lee|author7=Andre J. Nahmias|author8=Stuart M. Berman|author9=Lauri E. Markowitz|date=2006-10-23|title=Trends in Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 and Type 2 Seroprevalence in the United States|journal=JAMA|volume=296|issue=8|pmid=16926356|doi=10.1001/jama.296.8.964|pages=964–73|doi-access=}}</ref> and 16% are infected with HSV-2. Among those HSV-2-seropositive, only 19% were aware they were infected.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Xu|first=F|author2=MR Sternberg|author3=SL Gottlieb|author4=SM Berman|author5=LE Markowitz|display-authors=etal|title=Seroprevalence of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 Among Persons Aged 14–49 Years – United States, 2005–2008|journal=Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report|date=23 April 2010|volume=59|issue=15|pages=456–59|pmid=20414188|url=https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5915a3.htm|access-date=12 April 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110625091920/http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5915a3.htm|archive-date=25 June 2011}}</ref> During 2005–2008, the prevalence of HSV-2 was 39% in black people and 21% in women.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/stdconference/2010/hsv2pressrelease.pdf |title=CDC Study Finds U.S. Herpes Rates Remain High |publisher=Center for Disease Control and Prevention |date=2010-03-09 |access-date=2012-02-19 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306090032/http://www.cdc.gov/stdconference/2010/hsv2pressrelease.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-06 }}</ref>
{{cite journal
| author=Schang LM. | title=Advances on cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) as novel targets for antiviral drugs | journal=Curr. Drug Targets Infect. Disord. | year=2005 | pages=29-37 | volume=5 | issue=1 | id=PMID 15777196


The annual incidence in Canada of genital herpes due to HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection is not known (for a review of HSV-1/HSV-2 prevalence and incidence studies worldwide, see Smith and Robinson 2002). As many as one in seven Canadians aged 14 to 59 may be infected with herpes simplex type 2 virus<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rotermann |first1=Michelle |last2=Langlois |first2=Kellie A. |last3=Severini |first3=Alberto |last4=Totten |first4=Stephanie |date=2013-04-01 |title=Prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and herpes simplex virus type 2: Results from the 2009 to 2011 Canadian Health Measures Survey |journal=Health Reports |volume=24 |issue=4 |pages=10–15 |issn=1209-1367 |pmid=24258059}}</ref> and more than 90 per cent of them may be unaware of their status, a new study suggests.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/health/herpes-virus-has-infected-nearly-one-in-five-canadians-over-age-35-most-unaware-they-have-it-study |title=Herpes virus has infected nearly one in five Canadians over age 35, most unaware they have it: study |newspaper=National Post |access-date=2017-02-20}}</ref> In the United States, it is estimated that about 1,640,000 HSV-2 seroconversions occur yearly (730,000 men and 910,000 women, or 8.4 per 1,000 persons).<ref>{{cite journal |author = Smith JS, Robinson NJ |year = 2002 |title = Age-specific prevalence of infection with herpes simplex virus types 2 and 1: a global review |journal = J Infect Dis |volume = 186 |issue = suppl 1 |pages = S3–28 |doi=10.1086/343739 |pmid = 12353183 |doi-access = free }}</ref>
}}</ref>


In British Columbia in 1999, the seroprevalence of HSV-2 antibody in leftover serum submitted for antenatal testing revealed a prevalence of 17%, ranging from 7% in women 15–19 years old to 28% in those 40–44 years.<ref name="pmid11323323">{{cite journal | vauthors = Armstrong GL, Schillinger J, Markowitz L, Nahmias AJ, Johnson RE, McQuillan GM, St Louis ME | title = Incidence of herpes simplex virus type 2 infection in the United States | journal = American Journal of Epidemiology | volume = 153 | issue = 9 | pages = 912–20 | date = May 2001 | pmid = 11323323 | doi = 10.1093/aje/153.9.912| doi-access = free }}</ref>
===Natural compounds===
====Lysine====
[[Lysine]] supplementation has been proposed as a complementary therapy for the [[prophylaxis]] and treatment of herpes simplex. Lysine supplementation is highly dose-dependent, with beneficial effects apparent only at doses exceeding 1000 mg per day. A small [[randomised controlled trial]] indicated a decrease in recurrence rates in nonimmunocompromised patients at a dose of 1248 mg of lysine monohydrochloride, but no effect at 624 mg daily. This study did not show any evidence of shortening the healing time compared to placebo. <ref name=McCune>


In Norway, a study published in 2000 found that up to 70–90% of genital initial infections were due to HSV-1.<ref>{{cite journal |author = Nilsen A, Myrmel H |year = 2000 |title = Changing trends in genital herpes simplex virus infection in Bergen, Norway |journal = Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand |volume = 79 |issue = 8|pages = 693–96 |doi=10.1080/j.1600-0412.2000.079008693.x |pmid=10949236}}</ref>
{{cite journal
| author=McCune MA, Perry HO, Muller SA, O'Fallon WM. | title=Treatment of recurrent herpes simplex infections with L-lysine monohydrochloride | journal=Cutis. | year=2005 | pages=366-373 | volume=34 | issue=4 | id=PMID 6435961


In Nova Scotia, 58% of 1,790 HSV isolates from genital lesion cultures in women were HSV-1; in men, 37% of 468 isolates were HSV-1.<ref>{{cite journal |author = Forward KR, Lee SHS |year = 2003 |title = Predominance of herpes simplex virus type 1 from patients with genital herpes in Nova Scotia |journal = Can J Infect Dis |volume = 14 |issue = 2 |pages = 94–96 |doi=10.1155/2003/168673 |pmid = 18159431 |pmc = 2094909 |doi-access = free }}</ref>
}}</ref> Another small randomised controlled trial indicated the benefit of 3000 mg lysine daily for the reduction of occurrence, severity and healing time for recurrent HSV infection. <ref name=Griffith>


== History ==
{{cite journal
Herpes originated and evolved in Africa and could be the result of a cross-species transmission event from gibbons, orangutans, or gorillas.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wertheim |first1=Joel O. |last2=Smith |first2=Martin D. |last3=Smith |first3=Davey M. |last4=Scheffler |first4=Konrad |last5=Kosakovsky Pond |first5=Sergei L. |date=2014 |title=Evolutionary Origins of Human Herpes Simplex Viruses 1 and 2 |url=https://academic.oup.com/mbe/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/molbev/msu185 |journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution |language=en |volume=31 |issue=9 |pages=2356–2364 |doi=10.1093/molbev/msu185 |pmid=24916030 |issn=1537-1719|pmc=4137711 }}</ref>
| author=Griffith RS, Walsh DE, Myrmel KH, Thompson RW, Behforooz A. | title=Success of L-lysine therapy in frequently recurrent herpes simplex infection. Treatment and prophylaxis | journal=Dermatologica. | year=1987 | pages=183-190 | volume=175 | issue=4 | id=PMID 3115841


Herpes has been known for at least 2,000 years. Emperor [[Tiberius]] is said to have banned kissing in Rome for a time due to so many people having cold sores. In the 16th century ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'', blisters "o'er ladies' lips" are mentioned. In the 18th century, it was so common among prostitutes that it was called "a vocational disease of women".<ref name="scarlet">{{cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1715020,00.html |title=The New Scarlet Letter |author=John Leo |date=1982-08-02 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100202153257/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0%2C9171%2C1715020%2C00.html |archive-date=2010-02-02 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The term 'herpes simplex' appeared in [[Richard Boulton]]'s ''A System of Rational and Practical Chirurgery'' in 1713, where the terms 'herpes miliaris' and 'herpes exedens' also appeared. Herpes was not found to be a virus until the 1940s.<ref name="scarlet" />
}}</ref>


Herpes antiviral therapy began in the early 1960s with the experimental use of medications that interfered with viral replication called [[deoxyribonucleic acid]] (DNA) inhibitors. The original use was against normally fatal or debilitating illnesses such as adult encephalitis,<ref name="pmid4790599">{{cite journal|author=Chow AW|title=Cytosine Arabinoside Therapy for Herpes Simplex Encephalitis – Clinical Experience with Six Patients|journal=Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.|volume=3|issue=3|pages=412–17|date=March 1973|pmid=4790599|pmc=444424|doi=10.1128/aac.3.3.412|name-list-style=vanc|author2=Roland A|author3=Fiala M|display-authors=3|last4=Hryniuk|first4=W|last5=Weil|first5=ML|last6=Geme Jr|first6=JS|last7=Guze|first7=LB}}</ref> keratitis,<ref name="pmid14454441">{{cite journal | vauthors = Kaufman HE, Howard GM| title = Therapy of experimental herpes simplex keratitis | journal = Investigative Ophthalmology | volume = 1 | pages = 561–4 | date = August 1962 | pmid = 14454441 }}</ref> in immunocompromised (transplant) patients,<ref name="pmid180198">{{cite journal|vauthors=Ch'ien LT, Whitley RJ, Alford CA, Galasso GJ |title=Adenine arabinoside for therapy of herpes zoster in immunosuppressed patients: preliminary results of a collaborative study|journal=J. Infect. Dis.|volume=133|issue=Suppl|pages=A184–91|date=June 1976|pmid=180198|doi=10.1093/infdis/133.supplement_2.a184}}</ref> or [[disseminated herpes zoster]] (also known as disseminated shingles).<ref name="pmid5352659">{{cite journal|vauthors=McKelvey EM, Kwaan HC|title=Cytosine arabinoside therapy for disseminated herpes zoster in a patient with IgG pyroglobulinemia|journal=Blood|volume=34|issue=5|pages=706–11|date=November 1969|pmid=5352659|doi=10.1182/blood.V34.5.706.706|doi-access=free}}</ref> The original compounds used were 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine, AKA idoxuridine, IUdR, or(IDU) and 1-β-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine or ara-C,<ref name="pmid4364937">{{cite journal|vauthors=Fiala M, Chow A, Guze LB |title=Susceptibility of Herpesviruses to Cytosine Arabinoside: Standardization of Susceptibility Test Procedure and Relative Resistance of Herpes Simplex Type 2 Strains|journal=Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.|volume=1|issue=4|pages=354–57|date=April 1972|pmid=4364937|pmc=444221|doi=10.1128/aac.1.4.354}}</ref> later marketed under the name cytosar or cytarabine. The usage expanded to include topical treatment of herpes simplex,<ref name="pmid6598">{{cite journal|author=Allen LB|title=Effect of 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosylhypoxanthine 5'-monophosphate on genital lesions and encephalitis induced by Herpesvirus hominis type 2 in female mice|journal=J. Infect. Dis.|volume=133|issue= Suppl|pages=A178–83|date=June 1976|pmid=6598|name-list-style=vanc|author2=Hintz OJ|author3=Wolf SM|display-authors=3|last4=Huffman|first4=JH|last5=Simon|first5=LN|last6=Robins|first6=RK|last7=Sidwell|first7=RW|doi=10.1093/infdis/133.supplement_2.a178}}</ref> zoster, and varicella.<ref name="pmid4190397">{{cite journal|author=Juel-Jensen BE|title=Varicella and cytosine arabinoside|journal=Lancet|volume=1|issue=7646|page=572|date=March 1970|pmid=4190397|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(70)90815-9}}</ref> Some trials combined different antivirals with differing results.<ref name="pmid4790599"/> The introduction of 9-β-D-arabinofuranosyladenine, (ara-A or vidarabine), considerably less toxic than ara-C, in the mid-1970s, heralded the way for the beginning of regular neonatal antiviral treatment. Vidarabine was the first systemically administered antiviral medication with activity against HSV for which therapeutic efficacy outweighed toxicity for the management of life-threatening HSV disease. Intravenous vidarabine was licensed for use by the [[U.S. Food and Drug Administration]] in 1977. Other experimental antivirals of that period included: heparin,<ref name="pmid4289440">{{cite journal|vauthors=Nahmias AJ, Kibrick S |title=Inhibitory Effect of Heparin on Herpes Simplex Virus|journal=J. Bacteriol.|volume=87|issue=5|pages=1060–66|date=May 1964|pmid=4289440|pmc=277146|doi=10.1128/JB.87.5.1060-1066.1964}}</ref> trifluorothymidine (TFT),<ref name="pmid4790562">{{cite journal|vauthors=Allen LB, Sidwell RW |title=Target-Organ Treatment of Neurotropic Virus Diseases: Efficacy as a Chemotherapy Tool and Comparison of Activity of Adenine Arabinoside, Cytosine Arabinoside, Idoxuridine, and Trifluorothymidine|journal=Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.|volume=2|issue=3|pages=229–33|date=September 1972|pmid=4790562|pmc=444296|doi=10.1128/aac.2.3.229}}</ref> Ribivarin,<ref name="pmid212976">{{cite journal|vauthors=Allen LB, Wolf SM, Hintz CJ, Huffman JH, Sidwell RW |title=Effect of ribavirin on Type 2 Herpesvirus hominis (HVH/2) ''in vitro'' and ''in vivo''|journal=Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences|volume=284|issue=1|pages=247–53|date=March 1977|pmid=212976|doi=10.1111/j.1749-6632.1977.tb21957.x|bibcode=1977NYASA.284..247A|s2cid=12159958}}</ref> interferon,<ref name="pmid4404669">{{cite journal|vauthors=Allen LB, Cochran KW |title=Target-Organ Treatment of Neurotropic Virus Disease with Interferon Inducers|journal=Infection and Immunity|volume=6|issue=5|pages=819–23|date=November 1972|pmid=4404669|pmc=422616|doi=10.1128/IAI.6.5.819-823.1972}}</ref> Virazole,<ref name="pmid4340949">{{cite journal|vauthors=Sidwell RW, Huffman JH, Khare GP, Allen LB, Witkowski JT, Robins RK |title=Broad-spectrum antiviral activity of Virazole: 1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxamide|journal=Science|volume=177|issue=4050|pages=705–06|date=August 1972|pmid=4340949|doi=10.1126/science.177.4050.705|bibcode=1972Sci...177..705S|s2cid=43106875}}</ref> and 5-methoxymethyl-2'-deoxyuridine (MMUdR).<ref name="pmid1239978">{{cite journal|vauthors=Babiuk LA, Meldrum B, Gupta VS, Rouse BT |title=Comparison of the Antiviral Effects of 5-Methoxymethyl-deoxyuridine with 5-Iododeoxyuridine, Cytosine Arabinoside, and Adenine Arabinoside|journal=Antimicrob. Agents Chemother.|volume=8|issue=6|pages=643–50|date=December 1975|pmid=1239978|pmc=429441|doi=10.1128/aac.8.6.643}}</ref> The introduction of 9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl)guanine, AKA aciclovir, in the late 1970s<ref name="pmid91931">{{cite journal|vauthors=O'Meara A, Deasy PF, Hillary IB, Bridgen WD |title=Acyclovir for treatment of mucocutaneous herpes infection in a child with leukaemia|journal=Lancet|volume=2|issue=8153|page=1196|date=December 1979|pmid=91931|doi=10.1016/S0140-6736(79)92428-0|s2cid=40775996}}</ref> raised antiviral treatment another notch and led to vidarabine vs. aciclovir trials in the late 1980s.<ref name="pmid1988829">{{cite journal|author=Whitley R|title=A controlled trial comparing vidarabine with acyclovir in neonatal herpes simplex virus infection. Infectious Diseases Collaborative Antiviral Study Group|journal=N. Engl. J. Med.|volume=324|issue=7|pages=444–49|date=February 1991|pmid=1988829|doi=10.1056/NEJM199102143240703|name-list-style=vanc|author2=Arvin A|author3=Prober C|display-authors=3|last4=Burchett|first4=Sandra|last5=Corey|first5=Lawrence|last6=Powell|first6=Dwight|last7=Plotkin|first7=Stanley|last8=Starr|first8=Stuart|last9=Alford|first9=Charles|doi-access=free}}</ref> The lower toxicity and ease of administration over vidarabine has led to aciclovir becoming the drug of choice for herpes treatment after it was licensed by the FDA in 1998.<ref name="pmid11483782">{{cite journal|author=Kimberlin DW|title=Safety and efficacy of high-dose intravenous acyclovir in the management of neonatal herpes simplex virus infections|journal=Pediatrics|volume=108|issue=2|pages=230–38|date=August 2001|pmid=11483782|doi=10.1542/peds.108.2.230|url=http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=11483782|name-list-style=vanc|author2=Lin CY|author3=Jacobs RF|display-authors=3|last4=Powell|first4=D. A.|last5=Corey|first5=L.|last6=Gruber|first6=W. C.|last7=Rathore|first7=M.|last8=Bradley|first8=J. S.|last9=Diaz|first9=P. S.}}</ref> Another advantage in the treatment of neonatal herpes included greater reductions in mortality and morbidity with increased dosages, which did not occur when compared with increased dosages of vidarabine.<ref name="pmid11483782"/> However, aciclovir seems to inhibit antibody response, and newborns on aciclovir antiviral treatment experienced a slower rise in antibody titer than those on vidarabine.<ref name="pmid11483782"/>
Tissue culture studies have shown the suppression of viral replication when the lysine to arginine ratio ''in vitro'' favours lysine. The therapeutic consequence of this finding is unclear, but dietary arginine may affect the effectiveness of lysine supplementation. <ref name=Griffith2>


== Society and culture ==
{{cite journal
| author=Griffith RS, Norins AL, Kagan C. | title=A multicentered study of lysine therapy in Herpes simplex infection | journal=Dermatologica. | year=1978 | pages=257-267 | volume=156 | issue=5 | id=PMID 640102


Some people experience negative feelings related to the condition following diagnosis, in particular, if they have acquired the genital form of the disease. Feelings can include [[Depression (mood)|depression]], fear of rejection, feelings of [[Solitude|isolation]], fear of being found out, and self-destructive feelings.<ref name="Vezina">{{cite journal| vauthors=Vezina C, Steben M| title=Genital Herpes: Psychosexual Impacts and Counselling| journal=The Canadian Journal of CME| year=2001| pages=125–34| issue=June| url=http://www.stacommunications.com/journals/cme/images/cmepdf/june01/hsv.pdf| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216222217/http://www.stacommunications.com/journals/cme/images/cmepdf/june01/hsv.pdf| archive-date=2008-12-16| access-date=2008-09-10}}</ref> [[Herpes support groups]] have been formed in the United States and the United Kingdom, providing information about herpes and running message forums and dating websites for affected people. People with the herpes virus are often hesitant to divulge to other people, including friends and family, that they are infected. This is especially true of new or potential sexual partners whom they consider casual.<ref name="Green">{{cite journal|last=Green|first=J|author2=Ferrier, S |author3=Kocsis, A |author4=Shadrick, J |author5=Ukoumunne, OC |author6=Murphy, S |author7= Hetherton, J |title=Determinants of disclosure of genital herpes to partners.|journal=Sexually Transmitted Infections|date=February 2003|volume=79|issue=1|pages=42–44|pmid=12576613|pmc=1744583|doi=10.1136/sti.79.1.42}}</ref>
}}</ref>


In a 2007 study, 1,900 people (25% of which had herpes) ranked genital herpes second for social stigma, out of all sexually transmitted diseases ([[HIV]] took the top spot for STD stigma).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webmd.com/genital-herpes/news/20070824/genital-herpes-stigma-still-strong/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131116185722/http://www.webmd.com/genital-herpes/news/20070824/genital-herpes-stigma-still-strong|title=Stigma Still Strong|author=Miranda Hitti|publisher=WebMD|date=24 August 2007|archive-date=16 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.herpesdatesites.com/meetup-groups.html |title=Herpes groups on Meetup {{!}} HerpesDateSites |website=www.herpesdatesites.com|access-date=2017-02-20|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170406073606/http://www.herpesdatesites.com/meetup-groups.html |archive-date=2017-04-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://genitalherpesdatingsites.org/ |title=Genital Herpes Dating Sites Review {{!}} Best Herpes Dating Sites for Genital HSV Singles in 2016 |website=genitalherpesdatingsites.org |access-date=2017-02-20 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170522182714/http://genitalherpesdatingsites.org/ |archive-date=2017-05-22}}</ref>
Lysine intake may be supplemented by varying the diet. Dairy products
offer the highest ratio of lysine to arginine amino-acid content.
Contrarily, nuts (and peanuts, even though they aren't true nuts),
deliver a large dose of arginine. To help forestall outbreaks,
you might avoid nuts during stressful periods, and eat cheese any time
you do eat nuts. During an outbreak, eating cheese may slow the spread
of lesions, and reduce virus shedding and self-reinfection. Eating
100g (~4oz) of Parmesan cheese supplies 3.3g of lysine, vs. 1.3g of arginine. The same amount of almonds provides 0.7g of lysine, but 2.4g of arginine. (Cf. the Danish Food Composition Databank, http://www.foodcomp.dk/fcdb_alphlist.asp)


=== Support groups ===
High doses of lysine (greater than 10 grams daily) are known to cause gastrointestinal adverse effects. [[Dyspepsia]] was reported in 3 of 114 subjects treated with L-lysine in one study. <ref name=Griffith>
==== United States ====
A source of support is the ''National Herpes Resource Center'' which arose from the work of the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA).<ref>{{cite web |title=Herpes Support Forum |url=http://www.HerpesSupportForum.com |access-date=15 May 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160504160451/http://herpessupportforum.com/ |archive-date=4 May 2016}}</ref> The ASHA was created in 1914 in response to the increase in sexually transmitted diseases that had spread during [[World War I]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Our History|url=http://www.ashasexualhealth.org/who-we-are/312-2/|access-date=19 October 2014 |quote=ASHA was founded in 1914 in New York City, formed out of early 20th-century social reform movements focused on fighting sexually transmitted infections (known then as venereal disease, or VD) and prostitution. |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021144339/http://www.ashasexualhealth.org/who-we-are/312-2/|archive-date=21 October 2014}}</ref> During the 1970s, there was an increase in sexually transmitted diseases. One of the diseases that increased dramatically was genital herpes. In response, ASHA created the National Herpes Resource Center in 1979. The Herpes Resource Center (HRC) was designed to meet the growing need for education and awareness about the virus. One of the projects of the HRC was to create a network of local support (HELP) groups. The goal of these HELP groups was to provide a safe, confidential environment where participants can get accurate information and share experiences, fears, and feelings with others who are concerned about herpes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ashastd.org./about/about_history.cfm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820110233/http://www.ashastd.org./about/about_history.cfm |archive-date=2008-08-20 |title=American Social Health Association }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arbor.edu/Transcript-Evaluation-Incoming-Transfers/International-Students/Index.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003200251/http://www.arbor.edu/Transcript-Evaluation-Incoming-Transfers/International-Students/Index.aspx |archive-date=2011-10-03 |title=The Herpes Resource Center}}</ref>


==== UK ====
{{cite journal
In the UK, the Herpes Association (now the [[Herpes Viruses Association]]) was started in 1982, becoming a registered charity with a Department of Health grant in 1985. The charity started as a string of local group meetings before acquiring an office and a national spread.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hva.org.uk |title=Helping You With Herpes |publisher=Herpes Viruses Association |access-date=2017-02-20 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150726180701/http://www.hva.org.uk/|archive-date=2015-07-26}}</ref>
| author=Griffith RS, Walsh DE, Myrmel KH, Thompson RW, Behforooz A. | title=Success of L-lysine therapy in frequently recurrent herpes simplex infection. Treatment and prophylaxis | journal=Dermatologica. | year=1987 | pages=183-190 | volume=175 | issue=4 | id=PMID 3115841


==Research==
}}</ref> Prolonged and/or very high lysine doses may also have adverse effects on renal function, indeed lysine is contraindicated in lysine hypersensitivity and kidney or liver disease. (Anon., 2005) One patient, with a history of risk factors for renal impairment, developed tubulointerstitial [[nephritis]] ([[Fanconi's Syndrome]]) after taking lysine 3000 mg daily for approximately 5 years. <ref name=Lo>
{{Main|Herpes simplex research}}
Research has gone into vaccines for both prevention and treatment of herpes infections.


As of October 2022, the U.S. [[Food and Drug Administration|FDA]] have not approved a vaccine for herpes.<ref>{{Cite web |title=mRNA-1608 Herpes Vaccine |url=https://www.precisionvaccinations.com/vaccines/mrna-1608-herpes-vaccine |access-date=2022-12-11 |website=www.precisionvaccinations.com |language=en-US}}</ref> However, there are herpes vaccines currently in clinical trials, such as [[Moderna]] mRNA-1608.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-27 |title=Can herpes kill you? - Technology Org |url=https://www.technology.org/2022/09/27/can-herpes-kill-you/ |access-date=2022-12-11 |website=www.technology.org |language=en-US}}</ref> Unsuccessful clinical trials have been conducted for some glycoprotein subunit vaccines.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}} As of 2017, the future pipeline includes several promising replication-incompetent vaccine proposals while two replication-competent (live-attenuated) HSV vaccine are undergoing human testing.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}
{{cite journal
| author=Lo JC, Chertow GM, Rennke H, Seifter JL. | title=Fanconi's syndrome and tubulointerstitial nephritis in association with L-lysine ingestion. | journal=Am. J. Kidney Dis. | year=1996 | pages=614-617 | volume=28 | issue=4 | id=PMID 8840955


A [[genomic]] study of the herpes simplex type 1 virus confirmed the human migration pattern theory known as the [[out-of-Africa hypothesis]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Foley|first=James A.|title=Hitchhiking Herpes Virus Aligns with Spread of Human Civilization|url=http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/4548/20131021/hitchhiking-herpes-virus-aligns-spread-human-civilization.htm|publisher=NatureWorldNews.com|access-date=22 October 2013|date=21 Oct 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022012824/http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/4548/20131021/hitchhiking-herpes-virus-aligns-spread-human-civilization.htm|archive-date=22 October 2013}}</ref>
}}</ref>


==References==
====Polysaccharides====
{{Reflist}}
''[[carrageenan|Carrageenans]]'', linear sulphated [[polysaccharide]]s extracted from red [[seaweed]]s, have been shown to have antiviral effects in HSV-infected cells.
* There are indications that a [[carrageenan]] based gel may offer some protection against HSV-2 transmission by binding to the receptors on the herpes virus thus preventing the virus from binding to cells. Researchers have shown that a carrageenan-based gel effectively prevented HSV-2 infection at a rate of 85% in a mouse model.<ref name=Zacharopoulos>


==External links==
{{cite journal
{{Commons category|Herpes simplex}}
| author=Zacharopoulos VR, Phillips DM. | title=Vaginal formulations of carrageenan protect mice from herpes simplex virus infection | journal=Clin. Diagn. Lab. Immunol. | year=1997 | pages=465-468 | volume=4 | issue=4 | id=PMID 9220165
<!-- BEFORE inserting new links here you should first post it to the talk page, otherwise your edit is likely to be reverted. -->

}}</ref> There is an ongoing large-scale trial of the efficacy of a similar formulation on humans results are expected to be published in 2007.
* The natural carrageenans 1T1, 1C1, 1C3 isolated from [[Gigartina skottsbergii]] [[seaweed]] inhibited the replication activity of HSV-1 and HSV-2 in infected mouse [[astrocyte]] nerve cells and [[vero cell]]s.<ref name=Carlucci>

{{cite journal
| author=Carlucci MJ, Scolaro LA, Damonte EB. | title=Inhibitory action of natural carrageenans on Herpes simplex virus infection of mouse astrocytes | journal=Chemotherapy | year=1999 | pages=429-436 | volume=45 | issue=6 | id=PMID 10567773

}}</ref>
====Lactoferrin====
[[Lactoferrin]], a component of whey protein, has been shown to have a synergistic effect with aciclovir against HSV ''in vitro''.<ref name=Andersen>

{{cite journal
| author=Andersen JH, Jenssen H, Gutteberg TJ. | title=Lactoferrin and lactoferricin inhibit Herpes simplex 1 and 2 infection and exhibit synergy when combined with acyclovir | journal=Antiviral Res. | year=2003 | pages=209-215 | volume=58 | issue=3 | id=PMID 12767468

}}</ref> The concentration of lactoferrin which achieved 50% of maximum effectiveness observed (that is, the [[Ec50|EC<sub>50</sub>]]) also acted in synergy with aciclovir; the concentration required to achieve EC<sub>50</sub> for each substance was reduced "two- to seven-fold."
====Resveratrol====
[[Resveratrol]], a compound in red wine, has been shown by researchers to prevent HSV replication ''[[in vitro]]'' by inhibiting a protein needed by the virus to replicate. Resveratrol alone was not considered potent enough by the researchers to be an effective treatment.<ref name=Docherty99>

{{cite journal
| author=Docherty JJ, Fu MM, Stiffler BS, Limperos RJ, Pokabla CM, DeLucia AL. | title=Resveratrol inhibition of herpes simplex virus replication | journal=Antiviral Res. | year=1999 | pages=145-155 | volume=43 | issue=3 | id=PMID 10551373

}}</ref> A more recent ''[[in vivo]]'' study in mice showed the efficacy of topical resveratrol cream in preventing cutaneous HSV lesion formation.<ref name=Docherty04>

{{cite journal
| author=Docherty JJ, Smith JS, Fu MM, Stoner T, Booth T. | title=Effect of topically applied resveratrol on cutaneous herpes simplex virus infections in hairless mice | journal=Antiviral Res. | year=2004 | pages=19-26 | volume=61 | issue=1 | id=PMID 14670590

}}</ref> Research on a much more potent derivative of resveratol, named stil-5, is ongoing. There is no evidence that red wine consumption provides any similar benefits.

===Unproven===
Limited evidence suggests that low dose [[aspirin]] (125 mg daily) might be beneficial in patients with recurrent HSV infections. A small study of 21 volunteers with recurrent HSV indicated a significant reduction in duration of active HSV infections, milder symptoms, and longer symptom-free periods as compared to a control group. <ref name=Karadi>

{{cite journal
| author=Karadi I, Karpati S, Romics L. | title=Aspirin in the management of recurrent herpes simplex virus infection | journal=Ann. Intern. Med. | year=1998 | pages=696-697 | volume=128 | issue=8 | id=PMID 9537952

}}</ref> A recent animal study found that aspirin inhibited thermal stress-induced ocular viral shedding of HSV-1, and a possible benefit in reducing recurrences. <ref name=Gebhardt>

{{cite journal
| author=Gebhardt BM, Varnell ED, Kaufman HE. | title=Acetylsalicylic acid reduces viral shedding induced by thermal stress | journal=Curr. Eye Res. | year=2004 | pages=119-125 | volume=29 | issue=2-3 | id=PMID 15512958

}}</ref> Aspirin is not recommended in persons under 18 years of age with herpes simplex due to the increased risk of [[Reye's syndrome]]. Long term daily doses of aspirin have a side effect of reduced blood coagulation, facilitating bruising. A single 81 mg "daily dose" aspirin is a safer regimen given that there are no studies of the correlation between dosage and anti-viral effects of aspirin.

===Other===
The evidence for the effectiveness of [[zinc]] and [[Vitamin C]] supplementation is poor. <ref name=Altmedex>

{{cite book | author = Unknown | year = 2005 | title = AltMedDex System | chapter = Herpes simplex virus oral | chapterurl = | editor = Klasco RK (ed.) | edition = | pages = | publisher = Thomson Micromedex | location = Greenwood Village, CO | id =

}}</ref> Other supplements with anecdotal evidence of benefits include monolaurin, [[vitamin A]], [[vitamin B12|vitamin B<small>12]], [[garlic]], and [[echinacea]]. Daily multivitamin intake may be beneficial through maintenance of [[immune system]] health. High doses of vitamin A should not be taken in early pregnancy due to linkage with birth defects. In addition, some anecdotal reports indicate that placing ice in contact with an emerging cold sore for 5-10 minutes throughout the day can help shorten the duration of the outbreak, or prevent it from developing further.

Butylated Hydroxytoluene ([[BHT]]), commonly available as a food preservative, has been shown in ''in-vitro'' laboratory studies to inactivate the herpes virus.<ref>Snipes W, Person S, Keith A, Cupp J. "Butylated hydroxytoluene inactivates lipid-containing viruses" Science. 1975;188(4183):64-6</ref> ''In-vivo'' studies in animals confirmed the anti-viral activity of BHT against genital herpes.<ref>Richards JT, Katz ME, Kern ER. "Topical butylated hydroxytoluene treatment of genital herpes simplex virus infections of guinea pigs" Antiviral Res 1985;5(5):281-90</ref> However BHT has not been clinically tested and approved to treat herpes infections in humans.

==Latent infection and biology==
The herpes virus is a double-stranded DNA ([[dsDNA]])-type virus. Herpes establishes a latent infection in cells of the nervous system. Double-stranded DNA is incorporated into the cell physiology by infection of the [[cell nucleus]], where a loop of dsDNA is maintained. During inactive, or latent, periods of the infection, a subset of the Herpes [[genome]] termed ''[[HHV LAT|LAT]]'' or [[HHV LAT|Latency Associated Transcript]] is active and may be involved in maintenance of latency.

==Long-term effects==
The long-term effects of herpes are not well known, but the blisters may leave scars, and historically it was thought to contribute to the risk of [[cervical cancer]] in women. Subsequently, another virus, [[human papillomavirus]] (HPV), has been shown to be a primary cause of cervical cancer in women. Additionally, people with herpes are at a higher risk of [[HIV]] transmission because of open blisters. In newborns, however, herpes can cause serious damage: death, neurological damage, mental retardation, and blindness.

The immune system is able to destroy active herpes virus particles but the herpes virus has the ability to hide from the immune system in an inactive (or latent) state. Current research suggests that this ability to hide may be achieved via modification to cellular enzyme histone deacetylases (HDACs), namely HDAC1 and HDAC2. <ref name=Poon>

{{cite journal | author=Poon AP, Liang Y, Roizman B. | title=Herpes simplex virus 1 gene expression is accelerated by inhibitors of histone deacetylases in rabbit skin cells infected with a mutant carrying a cDNA copy of the infected-cell protein no. 0 | journal=J. Virol. | year=2003 | pages=12671-12678 | volume=77 | issue=23 | id=PMID 14610189

}}</ref> Hypothetically, by interfering with the HDAC enzymes' effectiveness, it may be possible to block the virus's ability to hide from the immune system, leading to a complete elimination of the virus by the immune system. Studies on the impact of HDAC inhibitors on viral latency are ongoing in the HIV arena.

===Obstetric / Neonatal risks ===
Recurrent genital herpes has very significant obstetrical/neonatal risks associated with it, and probably may merit treatment with acyclovir as an independent problem. <ref name=neonatal>
{{cite journal | author=Brocklehurst P, Kinghorn GA et al. | title=randomised placebo controlled trial of suppressive acyclovir in late pregnancy in women with recurrent genital herpes infection | Journal= Br J Obstet Gynaecol| Year= 1998|volume=105| issue=3| pages=275-80 }}</ref>

===Viral Meningitis===
It is reasonably well-established in the last few years that herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) is the most common cause of recurrent viral [[meningitis]] (Mollaret's meningitis).
<ref name=viral_meningitis>{{cite web | title=Recurring viral meningitis & herpes II | publisher=Med Help International | url=http://www.medhelp.org/forums/neuro/archive/9599.html | accessdate=2006-11-21}}</ref>

==Psychological and social effects==
Herpes can have a dramatic effect on individual's mental well-being and sexual behaviour.

===Quality of life issues===
Upon diagnosis of genital herpes, people can experience a number of negative feelings related to the condition. Though these feelings lessen over time, they can include:<ref name=Vezina>{{cite journal | author=Vezina C, Steben M. | title=Genital Herpes: Psychosexual Impacts and Counselling | journal=The Canadian Journal of CME | year=2001 | pages=125-134 | volume= | issue=June | id=}}</ref>
*depression 81%
* fear of rejection 75%
* feeling of isolation 69%
* fear of being found out 55%
* self-destructive feelings 28%

The impact of genital herpes included:
* partial or complete cessation of sexual activity
* total or partial loss of interest in sex
* decreased sexual pleasure
* sex life more inhibited and less spontaneous
* anxiety related to sexual desirability
* increased masturbation
* increased depression

In order to improve the well-being of people with herpes, a number of support groups <ref>[http://www.herpes-coldsores.com/support/herpes.htm Herpes Support Groups & Clinics]</ref>, communities <ref>[http://www.herpes-coldsores.com/messageforum Herpes message forum with over 4000 members] </ref> and dating sites <ref>[http://www.h-date.com H-Date, a dating site for persons with either or both of HSV-1 or HSV-2]</ref><ref>[http://www.mpwh.net/?GHS MPwH - Meeting People with Herpes, a dating site with over 65000 members]</ref> have formed a presence on the Internet.

===Media portrayal===

Media portrayals of genital herpes - which might help to destigmatise the condition - remain few and, when they occur, are often negative.<ref>[http://www.genital-herpes-corner.com/herpes-and-the-media.html Webpage on social aspects of genital herpes]</ref>

Examples of such portrayals in the main types of media include:

* in the mainstream press, a 1982 article in ''Time'' magazine called “Herpes: Today’s Scarlet Letter”; <ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/0,9263,7601820802,00.html ''Time'' Magazine archives]</ref>

* on television, a 1983 telefilm called “Intimate Agony”;<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085732/ Film Database description of ''Intimate Agony'']</ref>

* in music, a 1993 Marilyn Manson song called “Herpes”;<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs._Scabtree Wikipedia article including reference to the song ''Herpes'']</ref>

* in the cinema, a 2005 film called “Merry Christmas… I Got You Herpes”;<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0818118/ Film Database description of ''Merry Christmas...'']</ref>

* on the Internet, a 2006 fan-fiction short story called “Winter in Hell”.<ref>[http://www.theangstguy.com/fanfics/winter.htm Online short-story ''Winter in Hell'']</ref>

===Disclosure to new partners===
People with genital herpes are often hesitant to divulge to other people that they have the virus, including friends and family but especially new or potential sexual partners. People may be less likely to inform what they consider to be 'casual' partners.<ref name=Green>{{cite journal | author=Green J, Ferrier S, Kocsis A, Shadrick J, Ukoumunne OC, Murphy S, Hetherton J. | title=Determinants of disclosure of genital herpes to partners. | journal=Sex. Transm. Infect. | year=2003 | pages=42-44 | volume=79 | issue=1 | id=PMID 12576613}}</ref> In addition, the perception of the likely reaction is sometimes taken into account before making a decision about whether to inform new partners. An event such as a couple moving in together was found to be the point when some people disclosed their status. Reactions by sexual partners may not always be negative, and individuals often use various strategies to mitigate the impact of disclosure such as keeping the issue "low key," choosing a relaxed environment and suggesting the couple being tested jointly for a range of sexually transmitted infections.

==Legal redress==
Whether the law can help a person who catches herpes depends on the [[jurisdiction]] where it was contracted as legal jurisdictions define their own rules regarding the transmission of STIs such as herpes.<ref>[http://www.genital-herpes-corner.com/herpes-and-the-law.html Webpage on social aspects of genital herpes]</ref> In [[England and Wales]], the case of R. v. Sullivan a man was prosecuted for sexual assault after his partner experienced a primary outbreak of genital herpes, on the basis that he had failed to reveal the fact that he had herpes. Ultimately, the man was not prosecuted due to an inability to prove prior knowledge.
Within the [[United States]], civil claims for transmission of herpes are heard in all 50 states, usually based on [[negligence]] if transmission was accidental and [[Battery (crime)|battery]] if deliberate. The first successful case to allow such a claim was Kathleen K. v. Robert B., decided by the California Court of Appeals.

==Myths==
Some common misconceptions about herpes are:

*''that it is fatal.'' '''Fact:''' This is only true for newborns, which is rare, but it is fatal in 25% of all such cases. It can also possibly kill an adult if it infects the brain causing [[encephalitis]], or infects the [[meninges]] causing [[meningitis]]. <I'm not sure this is true, but it's what was already stated, I'm just trying to make it easier to read>
*''that it only affects the genital areas.'' '''Fact:''' It can affect any part of the body. If you touch a genital herpes sore and then touch another part of your body, you can potentially spread the virus.
*''that condoms are completely effective in preventing the spread of this disease.'' '''Fact:''' They do greatly improve protection but are imperfect only preventing transmission 50% of the time.
*''that it is only transmittable in the presence of symptoms.'' '''Fact:''' There is more viral shedding during an outbreak but it's possible to transmit any time.
*''that it can make you sterile'' '''Fact:''' Genital Herpes cannot make you sterile.
*''that [[Pap smear]]s detect herpes'' '''Fact''' PAP smears are not designed to detect herpes simplex virus infections. Type-specific serology tests and viral cultures are used to diagnose genital herpes and are not normally conducted during a woman's annual gynecological examination.
*''that it can not be transmitted between the genitals and the mouth.'' '''Fact:''' Even the use of a condom will not prevent transmission between genital and oral regions.
*''that only promiscuous people get it.'' '''Fact:''' It is so common that anyone can contract it. The more sexual partners an individual has, however, the more likely they are to contract the disease. This is especially true for women.<ref>
{{cite web | title= Myths and Facts about Genital Herpes | url=http://www.famvir.com/info/genital-herpes-facts.jsp?usertrack.filter_applied=true&NovaId=2229644967847987489 | year=2007 | publisher=[[Famciclovir]] | accessdate=2007-01-31}}
</ref>

There is a basis in fact that herpes could be transmitted via an inanimate object such as a toilet seat or wet towel but the conditions required for this kind of transmission (high heat, high moisture, and a vulnerable exposure site) make it extremely unlikely. Although there are no confirmed cases of this type of transmission, sharing a towel with somebody with active lesions should be avoided.
Likewise, sharing lip or mouth products (toothbrushes, lipstick, lip balm, or similar) with somebody with active lesions should also be avoided.

==Footnotes==
<div class="references-small"><references/></div>

== External links ==
<!-- BEFORE inserting new links here you should first post it to the talk page, otherwise your edit is likely to be reverted-->
*[http://www.the-cures.net/herpes-disease-cure-treatment.html The-Cures.net : Herpes Simplex - the Zinc Cure]
*[http://www.herpes-coldsores-treatment-pictures.com/herpes_zoster.htm Herpes Zoster Pictures]
*[http://www.herpes-coldsores-treatment-pictures.com/herpes_simplex.htm Herpes Simplex / Cold Sore Pictures]
*[http://www.arhp.org/healthcareproviders/resources/stdis/index.cfm Sexually Transmitted Diseases/Infections Resource Center from the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals]
*[http://www.cdc.gov/std/Herpes/STDFact-Herpes.htm Center for Diseases Control Genital Herpes Fact Sheet]
*[http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/JID/journal/issues/v186nS1/020145/020145.text.html Genital Shedding of Herpes Simplex Virus among Men]
*[http://www.niaid.nih.gov/dmid/stds/herpevac/default.htm Herpevac Trial for Women]
*[http://www.ashastd.org The American Social Health Organization]
*[http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/hardin/md/herpespictures.html Links to genital herpes pictures (Hardin MD/Univ of Iowa)]
*[http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cold-sore/DS00358 Mayo Clinic on Cold Sores]
*[http://www.stevedds.com/toppage2.htm Mouth Ulcers and Cold Sores]
*[http://www.ihmf.org/default.asp International Herpes Management Forum]
*[http://www.ihmf.org/journal/journal.asp Herpes Journal]
*[http://www.webmd.com/hw/skin_and_beauty/hw31979.asp Cold Sores -- Topic Overview]
*[http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/1121.html Once is enough for Herpes Simplex Virus 1 (HSV1)]
*[http://www.natural-cures-for.com/remedies/genital-herpes/ Natural Cures for Herpes]
*[http://www.sellingcells.com Genital Herpes Awareness and Information]
* [http://www.health-portal.net/disease/alphabetically/index_eng.html?alpha=H&query_start=40 health-portal.net about Herpes]


{{Medical condition classification and resources
| DiseasesDB = 5841
| DiseasesDB_mult = {{DiseasesDB2|33021}}
| ICD11 = {{ICD11|1F00}}
| ICD10 = {{ICD10|A|60||a|50}}, {{ICD10|B|00||b|00}}, {{ICD10|G|05|1|g|00}}, {{ICD10|P|35|2|p|35}}
| ICD9 = {{ICD9|054.0}}, {{ICD9|054.1}}, {{ICD9|054.2}}, {{ICD9|054.3}}, {{ICD9|771.2}}
| ICDO =
| OMIM =
| MedlinePlus =
| eMedicineSubj = med
| eMedicineTopic = 1006
| MeshID = D006561
}}
{{Diseases of the skin and appendages by morphology}}
{{STD/STI}}
{{STD/STI}}
{{Viral cutaneous conditions}}
{{Oral pathology}}
{{Portal bar|Medicine|Viruses}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Herpes Simplex}}
[[Category:Sexually transmitted diseases]]
[[Category:Biology of bipolar disorder]]

[[Category:Conditions of the mucous membranes]]
[[de:Herpes-simplex-Virus]]
[[hr:Herpes simpleks]]
[[Category:Herpes simplex virus–associated diseases]]
[[Category:Sexually transmitted diseases and infections]]
[[it:Herpes simplex]]
[[Category:Viral diseases]]
[[nl:Herpes simplex virus]]
[[Category:Virus-related cutaneous conditions]]
[[ja:単純ヘルペスウイルス]]
[[Category:Wikipedia emergency medicine articles ready to translate]]
[[pl:Wirus opryszczki pospolitej]]
[[Category:Wikipedia medicine articles ready to translate]]
[[simple:Herpes simplex]]
[[fi:Herpes simplex]]
[[sv:Herpes simplex]]
[[ta:பாலுறுப்பு ஹேர்பீஸ்]]
[[th:โรคเริม]]
[[tr:Herpes simpleks]]

Latest revision as of 02:00, 18 December 2024

Herpes
Other namesHerpes simplex
Oral herpes of the lower lip. Note the blisters in a group marked by an arrow.
Pronunciation
SpecialtyInfectious disease
SymptomsBlisters that break open and form small ulcers, fever, swollen lymph nodes[1]
Duration2–4 weeks[1]
CausesHerpes simplex virus spread by direct contact[1]
Risk factorsDecreased immune function, stress, sunlight[2][3]
Diagnostic methodBased on symptoms, PCR, viral culture[1][2]
MedicationAciclovir, valaciclovir, paracetamol (acetaminophen), topical lidocaine[1][2]
Frequency60–95% (adults)[4]

Herpes simplex, often known simply as herpes, is a viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus.[5] Herpes infections are categorized by the area of the body that is infected. The two major types of herpes are oral herpes and genital herpes, though other forms also exist.

Oral herpes involves the face or mouth. It may result in small blisters in groups, often called cold sores or fever blisters, or may just cause a sore throat.[2][6] Genital herpes involves the genitalia. It may have minimal symptoms or form blisters that break open and result in small ulcers.[1] These typically heal over two to four weeks.[1] Tingling or shooting pains may occur before the blisters appear.[1]

Herpes cycles between periods of active disease followed by periods without symptoms.[1] The first episode is often more severe and may be associated with fever, muscle pains, swollen lymph nodes and headaches.[1] Over time, episodes of active disease decrease in frequency and severity.[1]

Herpetic whitlow typically involves the fingers or thumb,[7] herpes simplex keratitis involves the eye,[8] herpesviral encephalitis involves the brain,[9] and neonatal herpes involves any part of the body of a newborn, among others.[10]

There are two types of herpes simplex virus, type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2).[1] HSV-1 more commonly causes infections around the mouth while HSV-2 more commonly causes genital infections.[2] They are transmitted by direct contact with body fluids or lesions of an infected individual.[1] Transmission may still occur when symptoms are not present.[1] Genital herpes is classified as a sexually transmitted infection.[1] It may be spread to an infant during childbirth.[1] After infection, the viruses are transported along sensory nerves to the nerve cell bodies, where they reside lifelong.[2] Causes of recurrence may include decreased immune function, stress, and sunlight exposure.[2][3] Oral and genital herpes is usually diagnosed based on the presenting symptoms.[2] The diagnosis may be confirmed by viral culture or detecting herpes DNA in fluid from blisters.[1] Testing the blood for antibodies against the virus can confirm a previous infection but will be negative in new infections.[1]

The most effective method of avoiding genital infections is by avoiding vaginal, oral, manual, and anal sex.[1][11] Condom use decreases the risk.[1] Daily antiviral medication taken by someone who has the infection can also reduce spread.[1] There is no available vaccine[1] and once infected, there is no cure.[1] Paracetamol (acetaminophen) and topical lidocaine may be used to help with the symptoms.[2] Treatments with antiviral medication such as aciclovir or valaciclovir can lessen the severity of symptomatic episodes.[1][2]

Worldwide rates of either HSV-1 or HSV-2 are between 60% and 95% in adults.[4] HSV-1 is usually acquired during childhood.[1] Since there is no cure for either HSV-1 or HSV-2, rates of both inherently increase as people age.[4] Rates of HSV-1 are between 70% and 80% in populations of low socioeconomic status and 40% to 60% in populations of improved socioeconomic status.[4] An estimated 536 million people worldwide (16% of the population) were infected with HSV-2 as of 2003 with greater rates among women and those in the developing world.[12] Most people with HSV-2 do not realize that they are infected.[1]

Etymology

The name is from Ancient Greek: ἕρπης herpēs, which is related to the meaning 'to creep', referring to spreading blisters.[13] The name does not refer to latency.[14]

Signs and symptoms

Herpes infection

HSV infection causes several distinct medical disorders. Common infection of the skin or mucosa may affect the face and mouth (orofacial herpes), genitalia (genital herpes), or hands (herpetic whitlow). More serious disorders occur when the virus infects and damages the eye (herpes keratitis), or invades the central nervous system, damaging the brain (herpes encephalitis). People with immature or suppressed immune systems, such as newborns, transplant recipients, or people with AIDS, are prone to severe complications from HSV infections. HSV infection has also been associated with cognitive deficits of bipolar disorder,[15] and Alzheimer's disease, although this is often dependent on the genetics of the infected person.

In all cases, HSV is never removed from the body by the immune system. Following a primary infection, the virus enters the nerves at the site of primary infection, migrates to the cell body of the neuron, and becomes latent in the ganglion.[16] As a result of primary infection, the body produces antibodies to the particular type of HSV involved, which can help reduce the odds of subsequent infection of that type at a different site. In HSV-1-infected individuals, seroconversion after an oral infection helps prevent additional HSV-1 infections such as whitlow, genital herpes, and herpes of the eye. Prior HSV-1 seroconversion seems to reduce the symptoms of a later HSV-2 infection, although HSV-2 can still be contracted.

Many people infected with HSV-2 display no physical symptoms—individuals with no symptoms are described as asymptomatic or as having subclinical herpes.[17] However, infection with herpes can be fatal.[18]

Types of herpes

Condition Description Illustration
Herpetic gingivostomatitis Herpetic gingivostomatitis is often the initial presentation during the first herpes infection. It is of greater severity than herpes labialis, which is often the subsequent presentation.
Herpes labialis Commonly referred to as cold sores or fever blisters, herpes labialis is the most common presentation of recurrent HSV-1 infection following the re-emergence of the virus from the trigeminal nerve.
Herpes genitalis When symptomatic, the typical manifestation of a primary HSV-1 or HSV-2 genital infection is clusters of inflamed papules and vesicles on the outer surface of the genitals resembling cold sores.
Herpetic whitlow and herpes gladiatorum Herpes whitlow is a painful infection that typically affects the fingers or thumbs. On occasion, infection occurs on the toes or the nail cuticle. Individuals who participate in contact sports such as wrestling, rugby, and football (soccer), sometimes acquire a condition caused by HSV-1 known as herpes gladiatorum, scrumpox, wrestler's herpes, or mat herpes, which presents as skin ulceration on the face, ears, and neck. Symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, and swollen glands. It occasionally affects the eyes or eyelids.
Herpesviral encephalitis and herpesviral meningitis Herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) is a rare life-threatening condition that is thought to be caused by the transmission of HSV-1 either from the nasal cavity to the brain's temporal lobe or from a peripheral site on the face, along the trigeminal nerve axon, to the brainstem.[19][20][21][22] Despite its low incidence, HSE is the most common sporadic fatal encephalitis worldwide. HSV-2 is the most common cause of Mollaret's meningitis, a type of recurrent viral meningitis.
Herpes esophagitis Symptoms may include painful swallowing (odynophagia) and difficulty swallowing (dysphagia). It is often associated with impaired immune function (e.g. HIV/AIDS, immunosuppression in solid organ transplants).

Other

Neonatal herpes simplex is an HSV infection in an infant. It is a rare but serious condition, usually caused by vertical transmission of HSV-1 or -2 from mother to newborn. During immunodeficiency, herpes simplex can cause unusual lesions in the skin. One of the most striking is the appearance of clean linear erosions in skin creases, with the appearance of a knife cut.[23] Herpetic sycosis is a recurrent or initial herpes simplex infection affecting primarily the hair follicles.[24]: 369  Eczema herpeticum is an infection with herpesvirus in patients with chronic atopic dermatitis may result in spread of herpes simplex throughout the eczematous areas.[24]: 373 

Herpetic keratoconjunctivitis, a primary infection, typically presents as swelling of the conjunctiva and eyelids (blepharoconjunctivitis), accompanied by small white itchy lesions on the surface of the cornea.

Herpetic sycosis is a recurrent or initial herpes simplex infection affecting primarily the hair follicle.[24]: 369 [25]

Bell's palsy

Although the exact cause of Bell's palsy—a type of facial paralysis—is unknown, it may be related to the reactivation of HSV-1.[26] This theory has been contested, however, since HSV is detected in large numbers of individuals having never experienced facial paralysis, and higher levels of antibodies for HSV are not found in HSV-infected individuals with Bell's palsy compared to those without.[27] Antivirals may improve the condition slightly when used together with corticosteroids in those with severe disease.[28]

Alzheimer's disease

HSV-1 has been proposed as a possible cause of Alzheimer's disease.[29][30] In the presence of a certain gene variation (APOE-epsilon4 allele carriers), HSV-1 appears to be particularly damaging to the nervous system and increases one's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The virus interacts with the components and receptors of lipoproteins, which may lead to its development.[31][32]

Pathophysiology

Herpes shedding[33]
HSV-2 genital 15–25% of days
HSV-1 oral 6–33% of days
HSV-1 genital 5% of days
HSV-2 oral 1% of days

Herpes is contracted through direct contact with an active lesion or body fluid of an infected person.[34] Herpes transmission occurs between discordant partners; a person with a history of infection (HSV seropositive) can pass the virus to an HSV seronegative person. Herpes simplex virus 2 is typically contracted through direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected individual, but can also be contracted by exposure to infected saliva, semen, vaginal fluid, or the fluid from herpetic blisters.[35] To infect a new individual, HSV travels through tiny breaks in the skin or mucous membranes in the mouth or genital areas. Even microscopic abrasions on mucous membranes are sufficient to allow viral entry.

HSV asymptomatic shedding occurs at some time in most individuals infected with herpes. It can occur more than a week before or after a symptomatic recurrence in 50% of cases.[36] Virus enters into susceptible cells by entry receptors[37] such as nectin-1, HVEM and 3-O sulfated heparan sulfate.[38] Infected people who show no visible symptoms may still shed and transmit viruses through their skin; asymptomatic shedding may represent the most common form of HSV-2 transmission.[36] Asymptomatic shedding is more frequent within the first 12 months of acquiring HSV. Concurrent infection with HIV increases the frequency and duration of asymptomatic shedding.[39] Some individuals may have much lower patterns of shedding, but evidence supporting this is not fully verified; no significant differences are seen in the frequency of asymptomatic shedding when comparing persons with one to 12 annual recurrences to those with no recurrences.[36]

Antibodies that develop following an initial infection with a type of HSV can reduce the odds of reinfection with the same virus type.[40] In a monogamous couple, a seronegative female runs a greater than 30% per year risk of contracting an HSV infection from a seropositive male partner.[41] If an oral HSV-1 infection is contracted first, seroconversion will have occurred after 6 weeks to provide protective antibodies against a future genital HSV-1 infection.[40] Herpes simplex is a double-stranded DNA virus.[42]

Diagnosis

Classification

Herpes simplex virus is divided into two types.[4] However, each may cause infections in all areas.[4]

  1. HSV-1 causes primarily mouth, throat, face, eye, and central nervous system infections.[4]
  2. HSV-2 causes primarily anogenital infections.[4]

Examination

Primary orofacial herpes is readily identified by examination of persons with no previous history of lesions and contact with an individual with known HSV infection. The appearance and distribution of sores is typically presents as multiple, round, superficial oral ulcers, accompanied by acute gingivitis.[43] Adults with atypical presentation are more difficult to diagnose. Prodromal symptoms that occur before the appearance of herpetic lesions help differentiate HSV symptoms from the similar symptoms of other disorders, such as allergic stomatitis. When lesions do not appear inside the mouth, primary orofacial herpes is sometimes mistaken for impetigo, a bacterial infection. Common mouth ulcers (aphthous ulcer) also resemble intraoral herpes, but do not present a vesicular stage.[43]

Genital herpes can be more difficult to diagnose than oral herpes, since most people have none of the classical symptoms.[43] Further confusing diagnosis, several other conditions resemble genital herpes, including fungal infection, lichen planus, atopic dermatitis, and urethritis.[43]

Laboratory testing

Laboratory testing is often used to confirm a diagnosis of genital herpes. Laboratory tests include culture of the virus, direct fluorescent antibody (DFA) studies to detect virus, skin biopsy, and polymerase chain reaction to test for presence of viral DNA. Although these procedures produce highly sensitive and specific diagnoses, their high costs and time constraints discourage their regular use in clinical practice.[43]

Until the 1980s serological tests for antibodies to HSV were rarely useful to diagnosis and not routinely used in clinical practice.[43] The older IgM serologic assay could not differentiate between antibodies generated in response to HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection. However, a glycoprotein G-specific (IgG) HSV test introduced in the 1980s is more than 98% specific at discriminating HSV-1 from HSV-2.[44]

Differential diagnosis

It should not be confused with conditions caused by other viruses in the herpesviridae family such as herpes zoster (also known as shingles), which is caused by varicella zoster virus. The differential diagnosis includes hand, foot and mouth disease due to similar lesions on the skin. Lymphangioma circumscriptum and dermatitis herpetiformis may also have a similar appearance.

Prevention

As with almost all sexually transmitted infections, women are more susceptible to acquiring genital HSV-2 than men.[45] On an annual basis, without the use of antivirals or condoms, the transmission risk of HSV-2 from infected male to female is about 8–11%.[41][46] This is believed to be due to the increased exposure of mucosal tissue to potential infection sites. Transmission risk from infected female to male is around 4–5% annually.[46] Suppressive antiviral therapy reduces these risks by 50%.[47] Antivirals also help prevent the development of symptomatic HSV in infection scenarios, meaning the infected partner will be seropositive but symptom-free by about 50%. Condom use also reduces the transmission risk significantly.[48][49] Condom use is much more effective at preventing male-to-female transmission than vice versa.[48] Previous HSV-1 infection may reduce the risk for acquisition of HSV-2 infection among women by a factor of three, although the one study that states this has a small sample size of 14 transmissions out of 214 couples.[50]

However, asymptomatic carriers of the HSV-2 virus are still contagious. In many infections, the first symptom people will have of their own infections is the horizontal transmission to a sexual partner or the vertical transmission of neonatal herpes to a newborn at term. Since most asymptomatic individuals are unaware of their infection, they are considered at high risk for spreading HSV.[51]

In October 2011, the anti-HIV drug tenofovir, when used topically in a microbicidal vaginal gel, was reported to reduce herpes virus sexual transmission by 51%.[52]

Barrier methods

Condoms offer moderate protection against HSV-2 in both men and women, with consistent condom users having a 30%-lower risk of HSV-2 acquisition compared with those who never use condoms.[53] A female condom can provide greater protection than the male condom, as it covers the labia.[54] The virus cannot pass through a synthetic condom, but a male condom's effectiveness is limited[55] because herpes ulcers may appear on areas not covered by it. Neither type of condom prevents contact with the scrotum, anus, buttocks, or upper thighs, areas that may come in contact with ulcers or genital secretions during sexual activity. Protection against herpes simplex depends on the site of the ulcer; therefore, if ulcers appear on areas not covered by condoms, abstaining from sexual activity until the ulcers are fully healed is one way to limit risk of transmission.[56] The risk is not eliminated, however, as viral shedding capable of transmitting infection may still occur while the infected partner is asymptomatic.[57] The use of condoms or dental dams also limits the transmission of herpes from the genitals of one partner to the mouth of the other (or vice versa) during oral sex. When one partner has a herpes simplex infection and the other does not, the use of antiviral medication, such as valaciclovir, in conjunction with a condom, further decreases the chances of transmission to the uninfected partner.[16] Topical microbicides that contain chemicals that directly inactivate the virus and block viral entry are being investigated.[16]

Antivirals

Antivirals may reduce asymptomatic shedding; asymptomatic genital HSV-2 viral shedding is believed to occur on 20% of days per year in patients not undergoing antiviral treatment, versus 10% of days while on antiviral therapy.[36]

Pregnancy

The risk of transmission from mother to baby is highest if the mother becomes infected around the time of delivery (30% to 60%),[58][59] since insufficient time will have occurred for the generation and transfer of protective maternal antibodies before the birth of the child. In contrast, the risk falls to 3% if the infection is recurrent,[60] and is 1–3% if the woman is seropositive for both HSV-1 and HSV-2,[60][61] and is less than 1% if no lesions are visible.[60] Women seropositive for only one type of HSV are only half as likely to transmit HSV as infected seronegative mothers. To prevent neonatal infections, seronegative women are recommended to avoid unprotected oral-genital contact with an HSV-1-seropositive partner and conventional sex with a partner having a genital infection during the last trimester of pregnancy. Mothers infected with HSV are advised to avoid procedures that would cause trauma to the infant during birth (e.g. fetal scalp electrodes, forceps, and vacuum extractors) and, should lesions be present, to elect caesarean section to reduce exposure of the child to infected secretions in the birth canal.[16] The use of antiviral treatments, such as aciclovir, given from the 36th week of pregnancy, limits HSV recurrence and shedding during childbirth, thereby reducing the need for caesarean section.[16]

Aciclovir is the recommended antiviral for herpes suppressive therapy during the last months of pregnancy. The use of valaciclovir and famciclovir, while potentially improving compliance, have less-well-determined safety in pregnancy.

Management

No method eradicates herpes virus from the body, but antiviral medications can reduce the frequency, duration, and severity of outbreaks. Analgesics such as ibuprofen and paracetamol (acetaminophen) can reduce pain and fever. Topical anesthetic treatments such as prilocaine, lidocaine, benzocaine, or tetracaine can also relieve itching and pain.[62][63][64]

Antiviral

The antiviral medication aciclovir

Several antiviral drugs are effective for treating herpes, including aciclovir (acyclovir), valaciclovir, famciclovir, and penciclovir. Aciclovir was the first discovered and is now available in generic.[65] Valaciclovir is also available as a generic[66] and is slightly more effective than aciclovir for reducing lesion healing time.[67]

Evidence supports the use of aciclovir and valaciclovir in the treatment of herpes labialis[68] as well as herpes infections in people with cancer.[69] The evidence to support the use of aciclovir in primary herpetic gingivostomatitis is weaker.[70]

Topical

A number of topical antivirals are effective for herpes labialis, including aciclovir, penciclovir, and docosanol.[68][71]

Alternative medicine

Evidence is insufficient to support use of many of these compounds, including echinacea, eleuthero, L-lysine, zinc, monolaurin bee products, and aloe vera.[72] While a number of small studies show possible benefit from monolaurin, L-lysine, aspirin, lemon balm, topical zinc, or licorice root cream in treatment, these preliminary studies have not been confirmed by higher-quality randomized controlled studies.[73]

Prognosis

Following active infection, herpes viruses establish a latent infection in sensory and autonomic ganglia of the nervous system. The double-stranded DNA of the virus is incorporated into the cell physiology by infection of the nucleus of a nerve's cell body. HSV latency is static; no virus is produced; and is controlled by a number of viral genes, including latency-associated transcript.[74]

Many HSV-infected people experience recurrence within the first year of infection.[16] Prodrome precedes development of lesions. Prodromal symptoms include tingling (paresthesia), itching, and pain where lumbosacral nerves innervate the skin. Prodrome may occur as long as several days or as short as a few hours before lesions develop. Beginning antiviral treatment when prodrome is experienced can reduce the appearance and duration of lesions in some individuals. During recurrence, fewer lesions are likely to develop and are less painful and heal faster (within 5–10 days without antiviral treatment) than those occurring during the primary infection.[16] Subsequent outbreaks tend to be periodic or episodic, occurring on average four or five times a year when not using antiviral therapy.

The causes of reactivation are uncertain, but several potential triggers have been documented. A 2009 study showed the protein VP16 plays a key role in reactivation of the dormant virus.[75] Changes in the immune system during menstruation may play a role in HSV-1 reactivation.[76][77] Concurrent infections, such as viral upper respiratory tract infection or other febrile diseases, can cause outbreaks. Reactivation due to other infections is the likely source of the historic terms 'cold sore' and 'fever blister'.

Other identified triggers include local injury to the face, lips, eyes, or mouth; trauma; surgery; radiotherapy; and exposure to wind, ultraviolet light, or sunlight.[78][79][80][81][82]

The frequency and severity of recurrent outbreaks vary greatly between people. Some individuals' outbreaks can be quite debilitating, with large, painful lesions persisting for several weeks, while others experience only minor itching or burning for a few days. Some evidence indicates genetics play a role in the frequency of cold sore outbreaks. An area of human chromosome 21 that includes six genes has been linked to frequent oral herpes outbreaks. An immunity to the virus is built over time. Most infected individuals experience fewer outbreaks and outbreak symptoms often become less severe. After several years, some people become perpetually asymptomatic and no longer experience outbreaks, though they may still be contagious to others. Immunocompromised individuals may experience longer, more frequent, and more severe episodes. Antiviral medication has been proven to shorten the frequency and duration of outbreaks.[83] Outbreaks may occur at the original site of the infection or in proximity to nerve endings that reach out from the infected ganglia. In the case of a genital infection, sores can appear at the original site of infection or near the base of the spine, the buttocks, or the back of the thighs. HSV-2-infected individuals are at higher risk for acquiring HIV when practicing unprotected sex with HIV-positive persons, in particular during an outbreak with active lesions.[84]

Epidemiology

Worldwide rates of either HSV-1 and/or HSV-2 are between 60 and 95% in adults.[4] HSV-1 is more common than HSV-2, with rates of both increasing as people age.[4] HSV-1 rates are between 70% and 80% in populations of low socioeconomic status and 40% to 60% in populations of improved socioeconomic status.[4] An estimated 536 million people or 16% of the population worldwide were infected with HSV-2 as of 2003 with greater rates among women and in those in the developing world.[12] Rates of infection are determined by the presence of antibodies against either viral species.[85]

In the US, 58% of the population is infected with HSV-1[86] and 16% are infected with HSV-2. Among those HSV-2-seropositive, only 19% were aware they were infected.[87] During 2005–2008, the prevalence of HSV-2 was 39% in black people and 21% in women.[88]

The annual incidence in Canada of genital herpes due to HSV-1 and HSV-2 infection is not known (for a review of HSV-1/HSV-2 prevalence and incidence studies worldwide, see Smith and Robinson 2002). As many as one in seven Canadians aged 14 to 59 may be infected with herpes simplex type 2 virus[89] and more than 90 per cent of them may be unaware of their status, a new study suggests.[90] In the United States, it is estimated that about 1,640,000 HSV-2 seroconversions occur yearly (730,000 men and 910,000 women, or 8.4 per 1,000 persons).[91]

In British Columbia in 1999, the seroprevalence of HSV-2 antibody in leftover serum submitted for antenatal testing revealed a prevalence of 17%, ranging from 7% in women 15–19 years old to 28% in those 40–44 years.[92]

In Norway, a study published in 2000 found that up to 70–90% of genital initial infections were due to HSV-1.[93]

In Nova Scotia, 58% of 1,790 HSV isolates from genital lesion cultures in women were HSV-1; in men, 37% of 468 isolates were HSV-1.[94]

History

Herpes originated and evolved in Africa and could be the result of a cross-species transmission event from gibbons, orangutans, or gorillas.[95]

Herpes has been known for at least 2,000 years. Emperor Tiberius is said to have banned kissing in Rome for a time due to so many people having cold sores. In the 16th century Romeo and Juliet, blisters "o'er ladies' lips" are mentioned. In the 18th century, it was so common among prostitutes that it was called "a vocational disease of women".[96] The term 'herpes simplex' appeared in Richard Boulton's A System of Rational and Practical Chirurgery in 1713, where the terms 'herpes miliaris' and 'herpes exedens' also appeared. Herpes was not found to be a virus until the 1940s.[96]

Herpes antiviral therapy began in the early 1960s with the experimental use of medications that interfered with viral replication called deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) inhibitors. The original use was against normally fatal or debilitating illnesses such as adult encephalitis,[97] keratitis,[98] in immunocompromised (transplant) patients,[99] or disseminated herpes zoster (also known as disseminated shingles).[100] The original compounds used were 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine, AKA idoxuridine, IUdR, or(IDU) and 1-β-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine or ara-C,[101] later marketed under the name cytosar or cytarabine. The usage expanded to include topical treatment of herpes simplex,[102] zoster, and varicella.[103] Some trials combined different antivirals with differing results.[97] The introduction of 9-β-D-arabinofuranosyladenine, (ara-A or vidarabine), considerably less toxic than ara-C, in the mid-1970s, heralded the way for the beginning of regular neonatal antiviral treatment. Vidarabine was the first systemically administered antiviral medication with activity against HSV for which therapeutic efficacy outweighed toxicity for the management of life-threatening HSV disease. Intravenous vidarabine was licensed for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1977. Other experimental antivirals of that period included: heparin,[104] trifluorothymidine (TFT),[105] Ribivarin,[106] interferon,[107] Virazole,[108] and 5-methoxymethyl-2'-deoxyuridine (MMUdR).[109] The introduction of 9-(2-hydroxyethoxymethyl)guanine, AKA aciclovir, in the late 1970s[110] raised antiviral treatment another notch and led to vidarabine vs. aciclovir trials in the late 1980s.[111] The lower toxicity and ease of administration over vidarabine has led to aciclovir becoming the drug of choice for herpes treatment after it was licensed by the FDA in 1998.[112] Another advantage in the treatment of neonatal herpes included greater reductions in mortality and morbidity with increased dosages, which did not occur when compared with increased dosages of vidarabine.[112] However, aciclovir seems to inhibit antibody response, and newborns on aciclovir antiviral treatment experienced a slower rise in antibody titer than those on vidarabine.[112]

Society and culture

Some people experience negative feelings related to the condition following diagnosis, in particular, if they have acquired the genital form of the disease. Feelings can include depression, fear of rejection, feelings of isolation, fear of being found out, and self-destructive feelings.[113] Herpes support groups have been formed in the United States and the United Kingdom, providing information about herpes and running message forums and dating websites for affected people. People with the herpes virus are often hesitant to divulge to other people, including friends and family, that they are infected. This is especially true of new or potential sexual partners whom they consider casual.[114]

In a 2007 study, 1,900 people (25% of which had herpes) ranked genital herpes second for social stigma, out of all sexually transmitted diseases (HIV took the top spot for STD stigma).[115][116][117]

Support groups

United States

A source of support is the National Herpes Resource Center which arose from the work of the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA).[118] The ASHA was created in 1914 in response to the increase in sexually transmitted diseases that had spread during World War I.[119] During the 1970s, there was an increase in sexually transmitted diseases. One of the diseases that increased dramatically was genital herpes. In response, ASHA created the National Herpes Resource Center in 1979. The Herpes Resource Center (HRC) was designed to meet the growing need for education and awareness about the virus. One of the projects of the HRC was to create a network of local support (HELP) groups. The goal of these HELP groups was to provide a safe, confidential environment where participants can get accurate information and share experiences, fears, and feelings with others who are concerned about herpes.[120][121]

UK

In the UK, the Herpes Association (now the Herpes Viruses Association) was started in 1982, becoming a registered charity with a Department of Health grant in 1985. The charity started as a string of local group meetings before acquiring an office and a national spread.[122]

Research

Research has gone into vaccines for both prevention and treatment of herpes infections.

As of October 2022, the U.S. FDA have not approved a vaccine for herpes.[123] However, there are herpes vaccines currently in clinical trials, such as Moderna mRNA-1608.[124] Unsuccessful clinical trials have been conducted for some glycoprotein subunit vaccines.[citation needed] As of 2017, the future pipeline includes several promising replication-incompetent vaccine proposals while two replication-competent (live-attenuated) HSV vaccine are undergoing human testing.[citation needed]

A genomic study of the herpes simplex type 1 virus confirmed the human migration pattern theory known as the out-of-Africa hypothesis.[125]

References

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