How do you get herpes?
Most people get Type 1 infections, which cause cold sores, during infancy or childhood. They usually get it from close contact with family members or friends who carry the virus. It can be transmitted by kissing, sharing eating utensils, or by sharing towels. The sores most commonly affect the lips, mouth, nose, chin, or cheeks and occur shortly after exposure. Patients may barely notice any symptoms or find these sores annoying and seek medical attention.
Most people get Type 2 infections, which cause genital sores, following sexual contact with an infected person. The virus affects anywhere between five and twenty million people, up to 20% of all sexually active adults in the United States.
The lesions of both types of herpes simplex, can be spread by touching an unaffected part of the body immediately after touching a herpes lesion.
How are the HSV infections diagnosed?
The appearance of HSV is often typical and no testing is needed to confirm the diagnosis. If diagnosis is uncertain, a swab from the infected skin for culture or smear may be taken and sent to the laboratory for analysis. Laboratory tests include special microscopic examinations and blood tests for antibodies. Some tests are only valid in the early stages, and more than one of these tests may be required to confirm the presence of herpes. Genital herpes can be mistaken for other diseases, including syphilis. A small number of women with genital herpes do not know they have it because it occurs on the cervix.
Other Serious Implications of HSV
Eye Infections – HSV infection of the eye can lead to herpes keratitis with pain, light sensitivity, a discharge, and a gritty sensation in the eye. Without prompt treatment, scarring of the eye may result. Fortunately, there are drugs available to eliminate infection and prevent severe scarring in the cornea.
lnfections in Pregnancy – A pregnant woman who has genital herpes at the time of childbirth may transmit the virus to her baby as it passes through the birth canal. If the birth occurs during the mother’s first episode of genital herpes, the baby may suffer severe damage. Women who know that they have had genital herpes or think they might have it during their pregnancy should tell their physicians so the baby can be protected.
Pregnant women should avoid sexual contact with a partner who has active genital herpes, especially late in the pregnancy, or they must routinely use condoms.
The newborn can also be infected by exposure to the virus from non-genital lesions. If the mother or a person working in the nursery has active blisters on the lips or hands, the baby can become infected. Family members and friends with active HSV should not handle a newborn child.
HSV can be life-threatening to a person who has cancer, an individual with AIDS, a person who has had an organ transplant, or anyone who has some other major illness, because their immunity to infection has been reduced.
Source: http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/viral_herpes_simplex.html
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