It is easy to catch herpes viruses; Drinking from the same glass as a sick person, kissing them, or being around an infected person who is coughing or sneezing is enough. Alexandra Fileva, dermatovenerologist and specialist at Gemotest Laboratory, told socialbites.ca how dangerous this virus is.
“As a rule, type 1 herpes is seen on the lips and type 2 herpes is seen on the genitals, but genital herpes can also be caused by type 1 herpes. In addition to the classic herpes virus infection, the herpes virus can cause other diseases: chickenpox, cytomegalovirus infection, infectious mononucleosis. In total, there are eight types of herpes viruses that cause different diseases, each with various clinical manifestations. Viruses have a common feature; after infection they remain in the body indefinitely and are reactivated at any opportunity; “for example, during hypothermia, hyperinsolation, frequent colds and decreased immune defenses, chronic fatigue syndrome,” he explained.
According to the doctor, people become infected mostly through kissing, sexual contact, and also when they share towels, dishes and razors, since the risk of transmission of the infection increases when there is damage to the skin and mucous membranes.
“The frequency of secondary herpes outbreaks varies from person to person. Typically, a simple herpes virus infection is easier to relapse and is accompanied by blisters on the lips, itching and tingling in the area where the rash appears. If the type 3 virus occurs, the person develops a very painful rash on one side of the body.” and will develop herpes zoster, which tends to merge with foci. This is an unpleasant condition, but usually not dangerous: most often the person recovers without consequences, but sometimes the disease is complicated by postherpetic neuralgia, when the rashes disappear, but the pain remains. True, a person with herpes zoster is in children or can cause chickenpox in adults who are not sick. The main danger of herpesvirus infections is that they can affect nerve fibers and provoke, for example, problems with vision, hearing and lead to paresis of the facial muscles. Severe forms of the disease can even lead to meningoencephalitis, but this is rare and usually only in people at risk ( “It occurs in patients with weakened immune systems, such as young children, the elderly, and cancer patients),” he said.
The prognosis of herpesvirus infections is generally positive. The person recovers on average in 2-4 weeks.
“Special prevention, that is, a vaccine against primary infection, has been developed only for chickenpox. Vaccination helps prevent chickenpox in childhood and shingles in the future. To prevent the transmission of other herpes viruses, it is recommended to use personal hygiene products, utensils, as well as not to have unprotected sexual intercourse with a new partner,” the doctor concluded.
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