Herpes Virus Includes 8 Different Viruses

Human herpes virus 1

HHV1 infections are contagious cold sores that are spread from skin-to-skin contact with an infected person through small lesions in the skin. The HHV1 virus is spread through sharing eating utensils, razors, tooth brushes, towels, kissing etc. from a person who has an active lesion.

Human herpes virus 2

HHV2 can cause genital herpes, a sexually transmitted infection spread through skin-to-skin contact.

Human herpes virus 3

HHV3 can cause chickenpox. It can also cause a recurrent virus infection called herpes zoster or shingles. The shingle lesions generally appear on one side of the body and are often painful.

Human herpes virus 4

HHV4 known as the Epstein-Barr virus is the major cause of mononucleosis.  It is a contagious infection that is transmitted through saliva, coughing, sneezing, etc. with an infected person.

Human herpes virus 5

HHV5 is know as cytomegalovirus, which can cause mononucleosis. It can be sexually transmitted and cause problems to newborns, and in people with weaken immune systems, and can cause hepatitis.

Human herpes virus 6

HHV6 causes roseola, which is a viral disease of young children in which a fever and a rose-colored rash occur in measles, typhoid fever, and syphilis.

Human herpes virus 7

HHV7 is related to HHV6.  Like all the herpes viruses, they are so common that most of the worlds population has been infected at some point.

Human herpes virus 8

HHV8 has recently been discovered in tumors (Kaposi’s Sarcoma) of people suffering from AIDS.

There is currently no cure for the herpes viruses. Once a person has the virus, it remains inactive in the nerve cells until something triggers it to become active again.  However, treatments such as acupuncture can relieve symptoms and shorten the healing time.