Herpes Simplex Blog

Genital Herpes May Never Go Dormant

Posted 16 hours ago by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 18 – Herpes, the sexually transmitted disease that causes genital lesions, never truly goes into a dormant state, new research suggests.

As a matter of fact, even when it's not causing an outbreak, the virus is shedding tiny bits of itself in the genital tract.

While the study did not specifically address whether or not the very small amounts of virus being continually shed are enough to infect someone else, the findings have the potential to change the way in which scientists view the life cycle of the disease.

The herpes virus is believed to hide out in the neurons around the spine during latent periods, then periodically travel down neurons that end in the genital tract, where it infects the skin cells, causing a lesion. Read more...

Related support groups: Herpes Simplex

Health Tip: Soothing Herpes Pain

Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com

-- Herpes blisters are caused by various viruses, and may occur inside the mouth, throughout the body or near the genitals.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to help soothe herpes blisters and sores: Read more...

Related support groups: Herpes Simplex

Treatment Target for Herpes Pinpointed

Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, March 27 – Researchers have identified a potential new target in the ongoing quest for a treatment, and possibly a cure, for the herpes virus.

A viral protein known as VP16 is apparently responsible for pushing herpes out of its latent state and back into an active infectious state.

Experts estimate that 70 percent to 90 percent of people worldwide carry the herpes virus, although not all show symptoms. "It's a huge, huge epidemic," said study author Nancy Sawtell, a researcher in the division of infectious diseases at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Her report appears in the March 26 issue of PLoS Pathogens. Read more...

Related support groups: Herpes Simplex, Herpes Simplex Labialis

In Time, Cream Might Prevent Herpes Transmission

Posted 3+ months ago by Drugs.com

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 21 – A topical treatment that disables genes that play a key role in the transmission of the herpes virus has been developed by U.S. researchers.

The treatment uses RNA interference (RNAi) to fight the virus in two ways: by disabling its ability to replicate and by blocking the host cell's ability to take up the virus. In mice, the treatment is effective when used from one week before to a few hours after exposure to the herpes virus. Read more...

Related support groups: Herpes Simplex