Herpes simplex

• Herpes simplex is an acute viral disease
• it causes blisters and sores around the mouth, nose, genitals, and buttocks, but they may occur almost anywhere on the skin.(1)
  • the oral and genital mucocutaneous surfaces are the primary sites of infection(2)
• there are two types of Herpes infection:
  • Type I Herpes virus
    • HSV I is spread by infected saliva and is therefore spread by close personal contact.
    • it is most commonly associated with oral-facial lesions
    • marked by groups of vesicles on the skin, often on the borders of the lips or nares - cold sores
    • most (80%) with oral-facial HSV infections have a subclinical primary course (2)
    • the patient can be a carrier for an indefinite period of time (2)
  • Type II Herpes simplex
    • HSV II - is a genital infection and is usually spread by genital contact
    • it is marked by groups of vesicles on the genitalia - genital herpes
• when herpes simplex infection is accompanied by fevers the disease is termed herpes febrilis.
• HSV is a poor immune stimulator but can cause cross reactivity and thus cross resistance. By the age of 40, 85% of the population has antibodies to HSV. This prevalence is reached by age 5 in developing countries.
• both types of herpes simplex, can be spread by touching an unaffected part of the body after touching a herpes lesion (1)
  • most herpes may be transmitted even in the absence of lesions (1)
• the infections may reappear periodically (1)

Click here for example images of this condition

Reference:

• (1) Herpes simplex. American Academy of Dermatology.2007
• (2) David A, et al.Viral Infections - Verrucae, Herpes Simplex, and Herpes Zoster. American Academy of Dermatology.2007