Herpes virus medical definition

There are two types of the herpes simplex virus:. The herpes simplex virus is a contagious virus that can be transmitted from person to person through direct contact. Children will often contract HSV-1 from early contact with an adult who has an infection.

They then carry the virus with them for the rest of their lives. The virus spreads more quickly during an outbreak. An estimated 67 percent of people ages 49 or younger are seropositive for HSV-1, though they may never experience an outbreak.

HSV-2 infections are spread through contact with a herpes sore. In contrast, most people get HSV-1 from a person with an infection who is asymptomatic, or does not have sores. Anyone can contract HSV, regardless of age. Your risk is based almost entirely on exposure to the infection. In cases of sexually transmitted HSV, people are more at risk when they have sex not protected by condoms or other barrier methods. If a pregnant woman is having an outbreak of genital herpes at the time of childbirth, it can expose the baby to both types of HSV, and may put them at risk for serious complications.

They may also transmit the virus to others. You may also experience symptoms that are similar to the flu. These symptoms can include:. HSV can also spread to the eyes, causing a condition called herpes keratitis. This can cause symptoms such as eye pain , discharge, and a gritty feeling in the eye. This type of virus is generally diagnosed with a physical exam. Your doctor may check your body for sores and ask you about some of your symptoms. Your doctor may also request HSV testing.

Also tell them about any possible exposure to genital herpes. If you have genital herpes, you may need to take anti-herpes medicine towards the end of your pregnancy. This medicine may reduce your risk of having signs or symptoms of genital herpes when you deliver.

At the time of delivery, your healthcare provider should carefully examine you for herpes sores. If you have herpes, you should talk to your sex partner s about their risk. Using condoms may help lower this risk but it will not get rid of the risk completely. Having sores or other symptoms of herpes can increase your risk of spreading the disease. Even if you do not have any symptoms, you can still infect your sex partners. You may have concerns about how genital herpes will impact your health, sex life, and relationships.

While herpes is not curable, it is important to know that it is manageable with medicine. Daily suppressive therapy i. Talk to a healthcare provider about your concerns and treatment options. A genital herpes diagnosis may affect how you will feel about current or future sexual relationships.

Knowing how to talk to sexual partners about STDs external icon is important. Herpes infection can cause sores or breaks in the skin or lining of the mouth, vagina, and rectum.

This provides a way for HIV to enter the body. Even without visible sores, herpes increases the number of immune cells in the lining of the genitals. HIV targets immune cells for entry into the body. Box Rockville, MD E-mail: npin-info cdc. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Genital Herpes. Section Navigation. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate.

Minus Related Pages. People who are sexually active can get genital herpes, a common sexually transmitted disease STD. Like its close relative, HHV1, herpes zoster likes to infect skin cells and nerve cells. This virus may also recur along nerve fibre pathways, causing multiple sores where nerve fibres end on skin cells. Because an entire group of nerve cells is often affected, shingles is generally much more severe than a recurrence of herpes simplex. The lesions generally appear in a band-like or belt-like pattern occurring on one side of the body and are often accompanied by itching, tingling, or even severe pain.

Healing usually occurs in 2 to 4 weeks, and scars may remain. Postherpetic neuralgia is a complication of shingles where the pain associated with the infection can persist for months and even years. Most people who experience shingles once do not experience it again. It is the major cause of infectious mononucleosis, or "mono" - the "kissing disease.

Coughing, sneezing, or sharing eating utensils with an infected person can pass the virus from one person to another. CMV is also a cause of mononucleosis. In people with healthy immune systems, the virus may not even cause any symptoms. It can be sexually transmitted, can cause problems to newborns, and can cause hepatitis. Like genital herpes, it is caused by HSV-2 and is passed on through sexual contact. Anal herpes causes…. Symptoms, causes, and treatment of herpes.

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