Where Does Herpes Virus Come From

Model Comparison Via The Likelihood Ratio Test

Statistical significance was assessed using a likelihood ratio test in which the fixed tMRCA is the null model and the unconstrained tMRCA is the alternative model, with one degree of freedom . This comparison was performed using gB trees with branch lengths estimated under BSREL and GTR + 4. The four internal calibration points were used.

The Highways For Herpes Simplex Virus Trafficking Within The Cell

The cytoskeleton is the backbone of the cell. It is an intracellular network of microfilaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules and is capable of interacting with HSV . During HSV infection, the virus utilizes this network to enter and travel across the cell to the nucleus. In the nucleus, the viral replication is assisted by the microfilaments and assemble with a capsid before egress. The changes in the cytoskeleton structure either help in pathogenesis of HSV or counteract them. These cytoskeletal transformations in the cells can render them cancerous .

Related: 5 Types Of Vaginal Odors You Should Know Aboutand What They Mean For Your Health

One of the most commonly-prescribed drugs to treat a current outbreak is Valtrax and, depending on if this is your first outbreak or a repeat occurrence, treatment can last for three to 10 days. But there are also daily suppressive therapy options, like valacyclovir, that offer symptom relief for patients with frequent or severe outbreaks. According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, taking it consistently can slash your risk of infecting a partner by about half. And with more options on the waya recent JAMA study looked at an experimental drug thats not currently available in the U.S., pritelivir, and found that it reduced the frequency of outbreaks and the number of days the infected person shed the virustheres hope that it will become more manageable.

Dont Miss: What Kind Of Herpes Are There

Read Also: What Test Is Done For Herpes

What Causes Herpes Simplex

Herpes simplex viruses spread from person to person through close contact. You can get a herpes simplex virus from touching a herpes sore. Most people, however, get herpes simplex from an infected person who does not have sores. Doctors call this asymptomatic viral shedding.

How people get herpes around their mouth

A person with HSV-1 can pass it to someone else by:

• Touching the persons skin, such as pinching a childs cheek

• Sharing objects such as silverware, lip balm, or a razor

How people get herpes on their genitals

You can get genital herpes after coming into contact with HSV-1 or HSV-2. Most people get genital herpes from HSV-2, which they get during sex. If someone has a cold sore and performs oral sex, this can spread HSV-1 to the genitals, and cause herpes sores on the genitals.

Mothers can give the herpes virus to their baby during childbirth. If the baby is born during the mother’s first episode of genital herpes, the baby can have serious problems.

Is It Safe To Breastfeed If I Have Genital Herpes

Yes as long as there isnt an open lesion on your chest or breast. If you have an active outbreak while breastfeeding, its possible to spread the infection to your nipples through touch. Careful hand-washing can prevent this spread. You shouldnt nurse from a breast that has herpes sores. You can pump breast milk until the sores heal. Dont give your baby expressed breast milk if the pump comes into contact with an open sore.

You May Like: How To Find Out If You Have Herpes At Home

More Questions From Patients:

Many people with genital herpes have no symptoms, or have very mild symptoms that go unnoticed.

The first time genital herpes symptoms appear is called the “first episode” or “initial herpes.” Initial herpes symptoms are usually more noticeable than later outbreaks.

Symptoms of genital herpes in men may include

• burning when you pee if you have sores

• trouble peeing if you have sores covering your urethra

• itching or pain around your genitals

During initial herpes, symptoms may also include

• swollen, tender glands in the pelvic area, throat, or under the arms

Treating The Symptoms Of Hpv

Most cases of HPV dont require any treatment. The virus will go away on its own in many people. However, there are treatment options available for treating the symptoms of HPV.

Genital warts from HPV may occasionally go away without medication. Sometimes, medications are used to help lessen the effects of the warts. These include:

Your doctor may also apply trichloroacetic acid or bicloroacetic acid, or cryotherapy to help treat genital warts.

Sometimes a doctor will remove the warts, though this removes the wart not the virus itself. If a high-risk HPV is found, your doctor may monitor you to ensure that cancer doesnt occur, or is caught early.

Read Also: How To Tell Someone I Have Herpes

The Role Of The Ribosomal And Viral Proteins In Herpes Simplex Virus Translation

Figure 3. The virion host shutoff -mediated translational regulation. Cellular mRNA degradation. The vhs protein triggers the degradation of the cellular mRNAs by XRN1. Nuclear containment. Vhs also prevents the mRNA overloading at the ribosomes at the time of late gene expression by restricting the IE/E viral mRNAs in the nucleus. Viral translation. Cellular mRNA degradation and nuclear containment of other IE/E mRNAs allows only the late viral mRNAs to exit the nucleus and be translated at the ribosomes. The late gene proteins, gC, Us11, and UL47, inhibit the host immune complement system, prevent autophagy, and promote nuclear egress, respectively.

Herpes Originates In Chimpanzees

According to researchers in the University of California, the virus herpes infected chimpanzees back 1.6 million years ago!

You can find these findings in the online issue of June 10 in Molecular Biology and Evolution. The leading author of this study and assistant research scientist at the San Diego Research Center, Joel O. Wertheim says Animal disease reservoirs are extremely important for global public health. Understanding where our viruses come from will help guide us in preventing future viruses from making the jump into humans.

In addition to this, Wertheim says: Humans are the only primates we know of that have two herpes simplex viruses. We wanted to determine why.

This study also compared the two strains of HSV HSV-1 and HSV-2 to the simplex viruses three from ape host and eight monkey species. By doing this, scientists estimated the divergence time of the virus, and also determined to achieve higher precision than any other model used. This comparison allowed them to check the time when the virus was introduced into the human population.

Both primate and human herpes viruses were examined in terms of genetics in order to check their similarities and differences. This lead to the discovery that the virus HSV-1 was present long before the HSV-2 virus. This prompted scientists to further research the origins of the second HSV strain in humans.

Worried you might have Herpes? Learn more about STD testing available at one of our over 4,000 clinics nationwide.

Don’t Miss: How Often Can Herpes Outbreaks Occur

Herpes Was Passed From Chimps Long Before Humans Existed Study Finds

Adults today are more likely to have herpes oral or genital than not. But where did this widespread disease come from?

To answer that question, youll have to go back millions of years, to a time before we were human.

New genomic analysis has found that oral herpes may have been around since before our split with chimpanzees happened about 6 million years ago. The virus then branched out and followed the evolution of hominids to become oral herpes, or herpes simplex virus 1 .

The ancestor of all monkeys and apes had the herpes virus, said study author and virologist Joel Wertheim of the University of California at San Diego. When the host species lineage started to split, the viruses also formed new lineages.

Because the chimpanzee herpes simplex virus found its way back into our lineage, we are the only primate species known to be infected with two distinct herpes simplex viruses. But how the transmission occurred from primate-to-hominid all those years ago remains a mystery.

We cant say whether the interaction that led to cross-transmission was physical aggression or sexual contact, Wertheim said. We just dont know, but both are possible.

Alternate means could have been through hominids hunting and eating the meat of proto-chimps or living with them in close quarters, said virologist Alberto Severini of the University of Manitoba, who was not involved in the research.

Kim is a freelance science journalist based in Philadelphia.

Who Is At Risk For Developing Herpes Simplex Infections

Anyone can contract HSV, regardless of age. If youre exposed to HSV, youre likely to contract the virus.

Remember, HSV is very common. But because its often asymptomatic, plenty of people living with the virus never have an episode or realize theyve contracted HSV.

You may have a higher chance of contracting the virus if you:

• have a sexual partner who lives with HSV
• were assigned female at birth . suggests more AFAB folks than people assigned male at birth develop HSV, but this could also mean AFAB folks are more likely to experience symptoms.
• are immunocompromised

Some older research suggests HSV-1 antibodies may offer AFAB folks some protection against contracting HSV-2. Still, many people living with one type of the virus do contract the other type later on. You wont contract the same type of the virus again, though, since it remains dormant in your body once you acquire it.

You may have a slightly higher chance of contracting genital HSV if you have sex without using condoms or other barrier methods. Keep in mind, though, that condoms and other barrier methods wont always cover the infection site, since sores can appear on the buttocks or inner thighs.

Read Also: Can Herpes Be Treated With Antibiotics

How Genital Herpes Is Spread

You can get genital herpes if you come into contact with:

• Saliva from a partner with oral herpes
• Genital fluids from a partner with genital herpes
• Skin around the mouth or genitals of someone with a herpes infection

You can even get herpes from skin-to-skin contact with someone who has no symptoms and who may not even know they have herpes.

How Can I Prevent Genital Herpes

If you are sexually active, you can do the following things to lower your chances of getting genital herpes:

• Being in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who does not have herpes.
• Using condoms the right way every time you have sex.

Be aware that not all herpes sores occur in areas that a condom can cover. Also, the skin can release the virus from areas that do not have a visible herpes sore. For these reasons, condoms may not fully protect you from getting herpes.

If your sex partner has/have genital herpes, you can lower your risk of getting it if:

• Your partner takes an anti-herpes medicine every day. This is something your partner should discuss with his or her healthcare provider.

Recommended Reading: How Do You Get Tested For Herpes Simplex 1

What Else Should I Know

Genital herpes is a lifelong condition, but there are ways to manage it. If you have genital herpes:

• Take medicines to stop outbreaks or make them less frequent and less severe.
• Help reduce the risk of spreading genital herpes to others by taking medicines, always using a condom during sex, and avoiding sex during outbreaks.

How Can I Reduce My Risk Of Getting Genital Herpes

If you are sexually active, you can do the following things to lower your chances of getting genital herpes:

• Be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who is not infected with an STD
• Using latex condoms the right way every time you have sex.

Be aware that not all herpes sores occur in areas that are covered by a latex condom. Also, herpes virus can be released from areas of the skin that do not have a visible herpes sore. For these reasons, condoms may not fully protect you from getting herpes.

If you are in a relationship with a person known to have genital herpes, you can lower your risk of getting genital herpes if:

• Your partner takes an anti-herpes medication every day. This is something your partner should discuss with his or her doctor.

Don’t Miss: How To Take Care Of Genital Herpes

When To Call The Doctor

Even though HSV sores can hurt and be unsightly, most cases of herpes do not cause serious illness. The sores go away in a few days. Contact the health provider if:

• Sores are present and you think it might be a first herpes infection. The diagnosis is usually made by examining the sores. If the sores have not healed, sometimes a laboratory test is done.
• Sores do not heal by themselves or show signs of infection such as pus, spreading redness or fever.
• Sores are near the eyes.
• You have another health condition with a weakened immune system.

Also Check: When Is The Best Time To Test For Herpes

No Cure: Vaccine Needed

There is no cure for herpes. Antiviral medications, such as acyclovir, famciclovir, and valacyclovir, can help to reduce the severity and frequency of symptoms but cannot cure the infection.

Better awareness, improved access to antiviral medications and heightened HIV prevention efforts for those with genital HSV symptoms are needed globally. In addition, development of better treatment and prevention interventions is needed, particularlyHSV vaccines.

A vaccine against HSV infection would not only help to promote and protect the health and well-being of millions of people, particularly women, worldwide it could also potentially have an impact on slowing the spread of HIV, if developedand provided alongside other HIV prevention strategies says Dr Meg Doherty, Director of the WHO Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis, and STI Programmes.

Read Also: How Common Is Oral Herpes

How Does Herpes Simplex Spread

Herpes spreads through close contact with a person who has the infection. The virus can be found in skin and saliva. If you have herpes simplex, you are most likely to pass the virus to another person when you have sores. But you can infect someone else even if you have no symptoms. Healthcare providers call this asymptomatic viral shedding.

People may get HSV-1 through

• Touching a persons skin near the mouth.
• Sharing food utensils, lip balm or razors.
• If you receive oral sex from someone who has a cold sore, it may spread a herpes infection to your genitals.

People may get HSV-2 through

• Oral sex with someone whos infected.
• Skin-to-skin contact without ejaculation.
• Touching open sores, including while breastfeeding.
• Childbirth by a mother or gestational parent who has an active infection.

You cant get genital herpes from objects like toilet seats. But you could pass genital herpes through shared sex toys.

If You Have Genital Herpes Already Can It Be Spread To Other Parts Of The Body Such As The Arms Or Legs

No. Genital herpes cannot be transmitted to another part of your body such as your arm, leg or hand after the first infection occurs. If you have genital HSV II, you will not get HSV II at another site in your body. The immune system produces antibodies that protect other parts of your body from infection. However, there are cases where a person has multiple site infections from the same virus. This is usually acquired at the time of the first infection. For example, if someone has never had herpes but then has oral and genital sex with an infected partner, they can acquire the infection at both sites.

Recommended Reading: Are There Herpes Dating Sites

What Should I Do If I Have Genital Herpes

If you have genital herpes:

• See a doctor or nurse as soon as possible for testing and treatment.
• Take all of the medicine. Even if symptoms go away, you need to finish all of the antiviral medicine.
• Tell your sex partner so they can be tested and treated if necessary.
• Avoid any sexual contact while you are being treated for genital herpes or while you have an outbreak.
• Remember that genital herpes is a lifelong disease. Even though you may not have a genital herpes outbreak for long periods of time, you can still pass the virus to another person at any time. Talk with your doctor or nurse about how to prevent passing the virus to another person.

A Step Closer To Understanding How Herpes Virus Hides Out And Re

The herpes virus causes cold sores and genital sores, as well as life-threatening infections in newborns, encephalitis and corneal blindness.

Treatment of the virus is difficult, because it hides out in nerve cells and emerges months or years later to reactivate the infection. New research from Dr. Luis M. Schang and his group at the Baker Institute for Animal Health has identified a new mechanism that plays a role in controlling how the virus alternates between dormant and active stages of infection.

In Schangs group, Mi Yao Hu and Esteban Flores Cortes discovered that the virus switches between the latent stage and the lytic stage, in which it is actively replicating, depending on how tightly its DNA is packaged into bundles called chromatin.

Their findings are in a paper, Chromatin Dynamics and the Transcriptional Competence of HSV-1 Genomes During Lytic Infections, which published Nov. 14 in PLOS Pathogens. Schangs group collaborated with scientists from the University of Alberta, Canada, and University College London .

Any problem that herpes causes is because of reactivation from latency, Schang said. Thats the reason why antivirals cannot cure the infection and why so far its been impossible to develop a vaccine. Latency and reactivation are a major focus for herpes virus research.

Latency and gene regulation is a big problem because we do not know nearly enough about it, said Schang. Its big black box in herpes biology.

Read Also: Can You Live With Herpes