Herpes Family of Viruses
Herpes comes from the Greek word “herpein”, meaning “to creep” which best describes the ability of the virus to remain in a dormant (latent) state in the body and cause recurring outbreaks. Herpes family of viruses known as Herpesviridae is a large family of viruses which causes infection to many animals including humans.
There are three major groups under the herpes family of viruses which cause infections to humans:
1. Alpha viruses
· Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) – This is the main cause of oral and/or genital herpes but usually associated with cold sores around the mouth. HSV-1 infections are contagious and are mostly spread from skin-to-skin contact with an infected person through small cuts in the skin or mucous membrane.
· Herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) – The major cause of oral and/or genital herpes but predominantly linked to genital herpes. The primary means of transmission is through sexual contact because the virus cannot survive outside the body for a long period of time.
· Varicella zoster virus (VZV) – This is the cause of chicken pox and shingles. Shingles arises when dormant the varicella-zoster virus from an initial case of chickenpox is reactivated.
2. Beta viruses
· Cytomegalovirus (CMV) – It also causes retinitis and mononucleosis-like ailments and infections in immuno-suppressed individuals such as people with AIDS and transplant patients. It can be sexually transmitted and can cause hepatitis and complications to newborns.
· Roseolovirus or herpes lymphotropic virus – It causes roseola, a disease causing fever and skin rash in small children. This infection is responsible for many of the cases of convulsions related with fever in infancy (febrile seizures).
· Roseolovirus – It can also cause roseola, but it is not clear what other clinical effects this virus causes.
3. Gamma viruses
· Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) or lymphocryptovirus – It is the major cause of infectious mononucleosis but also causes Burkitt’s lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and CNS lymphoma in AIDS patients. It is infectious and can be transmitted through saliva. Coughing, sneezing, or sharing eating utensils with an infected person can spread the virus from one person to another.
· Kaposi’s sarcoma herpes virus (KSHV) – The primary cause of Kaposi’s sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma and some types of multicentric Castleman’s disease. This type of herpes virus causes tumors in AIDS patients which are not common to the rest of the population.
The herpes family of viruses causes complications to patients with compromised immune systems. Herpes has no known cure yet but, there are treatments and medications available for those who are infected with the virus. These treatments and medications alleviate the discomforts brought about by recurrent outbreaks. However, recurrence varies per individual, in others, the interval may only be days but there are also cases wherein it takes years for the virus to be reactivated again.
Tags: Herpes Frequent Questions, Herpes Information
