Do you know the common human herpes viruses?

In clinical practice at STD hospitals, herpes viruses related to humans are called human herpes viruses. Herpes viruses primarily invade tissues of ectodermal origin, including skin, mucous membranes, and neural tissue. So what are the common herpes viruses?

1. Herpes simplex virus (HSV)

After infecting the host, HSV often establishes a latent infection in nerve cells. After activation, asymptomatic shedding of toxins will occur, maintaining the transmission chain in the population, and the cycle repeats itself over and over again. The disease is self-limiting and will heal itself in about 1-2 weeks. The goal of treatment is to prevent the next recurrence.

1. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (human herpesvirus type 1)

It mainly causes herpes on the lips and around the mouth and nose, and occasionally causes rash on the eyes. Less commonly, skin infections occur near the genitals, such as on the fingers, and are called herpetic pustulosis.

2. Herpes simplex virus type 2 (human herpesvirus type 2)

Also known as genital herpes, it mainly causes herpes in the genital area and can be transmitted through sexual contact (see sexually transmitted diseases), most of which are transmitted through sexual contact. The lesions are located near the genitals, such as the buttocks, penis, vagina, and cervix. Occasionally, they can occur in other parts of the body, but are often below the abdomen. They may cause burning pain when urinating, and some may even cause difficulty urinating. Some patients have fever and muscle aches.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent herpes simplex virus infection. Treatment is mainly symptomatic. For severe or frequently recurring herpes simplex infections, oral antiviral agents can be considered to prevent secondary infections and reduce recurrences. For minor skin infections, topical medications can improve symptoms and shorten the course of the disease.

Some research shows that HSV-1 and HSV-2 may be associated with lip cancer, vulvar cancer, and cervical cancer, respectively. But further in-depth research is needed.

2. Varicella-zoster virus (human herpesvirus 3, HHV-3)

The virus causes two infectious diseases, chickenpox or shingles.

1. Chickenpox

When HHV-3 first infects children, it often causes chickenpox, which is characterized by a systemic maculopapular rash that quickly develops into blisters, pustules, and finally scabs. Most of the children who have recovered have developed immunity and cleared the virus. However, a small number of people who have recovered from chickenpox (about 20%) have not been able to completely eliminate the virus from their bodies, and the virus remains dormant in the neurons of the dorsal root ganglia of the spinal cord or in the neurons of the trigeminal ganglion.

2. Shingles

When the body's immunity is low, the latent HHV-3 virus will become active again, causing the appearance of clusters of skin blisters along the peripheral nerve distribution area, accompanied by neuralgia. This is "herpes zoster", which is called waist fire dan in traditional Chinese medicine. Herpes zoster lesions are often distributed unilaterally along a peripheral nerve and generally do not exceed the midline of the body surface. It is often seen in the distribution area of ​​the intercostal nerves or the first branch of the trigeminal nerve, and can also be seen in the skin of the chest, abdomen, waist, limbs, ears, and mucous membranes of the nose and mouth. If it invades the supraorbital branch of the trigeminal nerve, the pain is severe and may affect the cornea and eyeball, and may even cause panophthalmitis and lead to blindness. It can also cause encephalitis and meningitis. Neuralgia is one of the characteristics of herpes zoster.