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What
is Herpes
The Herpes Virus is centuries old, but in
the 20th century we have discovered that the virus does
not only exists on the skin, but also in the nerve centre.
Herpes is a disease which is cuased by the
Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV). This is one of the most prevented
viruses for the people and exists everywhere on the planet.
Herpes is a disease of growing public health
importance. Whether you carry the virus or not, keeping
yourself informed is your best protection. In this section,
you will find an overview of the Herpes family of viruses.
Over 80 known viruses exist within the Herpes
family. Of these, 8 are known to cause disease in humans,
the most common being Herpes simplex virus 1 and 2. HSV-1
and HSV-2 look identical under the microscope, and either
type can infect the mouth or genitals. Usually, however,
HSV-1 occurs above the waist, and HSV-2 below the waist:
In addition to cold sores and genital herpes, HSV-1 and
HSV-2 can cause other diseases:
herpes simplex encephalitis, a rare but potentially fatal
herpetic infection of the brain
neonatal herpes
- a rare but potentially severe HSV infection in a newborn;
neonatal herpes results from transmission of the virus
from the mother to the baby during delivery
herpetic whitlow
- an HSV infection of the finger, acquired either from
transfer of the infection from another part of the body
or from direct contact with another party having an HSV
infection; herpetic whitlow most commonly affects healthcare
workers
herpes keratitis
HSV infection of the eye; herpes keratitis is one of
the most common causes of blindness
Herpes gladiatorum - an HSV infection, usually of the
skin, acquired during wrestling; the skin can become abraded,
or scraped, during a wrestling match, allowing a herpes
virus to enter the body and establish an infection
Unlike viruses such as influenza, which can be transmitted
through the air, herpes simplex viruses require physical
contact. They are frequently transmitted through mouth-to-mouth
contact (in the case of HSV-1) or genital-to-genital contact
(in the case of HSV-2), although other means of transmission,
including hand-to-genital and mouth-to-genital contact,
are possible.
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