Infections by herpes group viruses cause a lot of misery - including cold sores, genital herpes, chicken pox and shingles. While there have been extraordinary advances in medicines, research continues into vaccines and other ways to combat these common viruses.
Disease: Infections by Herpes Group Viruses
Last update: July 2009
Intro
FAQ
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What are they?
There are eight known human herpes viruses. They include Herpes simplex Type-1 (HSV-1) which causes cold sores, Herpes simplex Type-2 (HSV-2) which causes genital sores, Varicella zoster (VZV) which causes chicken pox and shingles, Epstein-Barr (EBV) which causes infectious mononucleosis and cytomegalovirus (CMV) which can cause pneumonia in patients with weakened immune systems. A feature of these viruses is that they can lie dormant in the nerves for a long time. -
Who gets them?
Almost everyone has been exposed at some time to one of herpes viruses. Cold sores can recur throughout life, and shingles is common in elderly. If a person's immune system is weakened by disease or chemotherapy, then the infections can be life-threatening. In kidney transplant patients, CMV infection can lead to rejection of the kidney. -
What can be done about them?
Medicines that are effective against herpes viruses are available. However, these do not eliminate the latent virus, which can lead to a new herpes outbreak. -
What does the future hold?
Research is continuing into ways of preventing the initial infection and to prevent the virus from being transmitted from one person to another. It is hoped too that ways of removing the dormant virus can be discovered.