Nowadays HSV is one of the most widespread and actual diseases of population. 35% of children and about 90% of adults have antibodies to simplex contagion in their blood serum (it means that these people have met with this malady before and had some symptoms of it).
HSV is transmitted from person to person. The source of simplex contagion may be a carrier or an individual with acute or chronicle form of disease that shows visible pictures from time to time.
Reasons of "herpes simplex popularity"
There are some reasons why it is so widespread. The main ones are the following:
- Great amount of viral corpuscles in the nature;
- Contagious character (a high possibility to get it after contact with ill person, especially if he has present pictures);
- Plain ways of transmission (respiratory, contact);
- Affection of different organs and tissues, propensity to long term persistence (the perpetual existence of simplex contagion in human's body);
- Ability to cause different forms of malady (the same type of virus can cause illnesses with various pictures).
When person tells he has got herpes, it usually means contagion provoked by herpes simplex type 1 or 2. Peak of morbidity is among teenagers. That is why, it is sometimes called "the disease of first kisses". Typical pictures are eruptions on skin or mucous tunic that appear from time to time. Such reiterations of simplex malady are called recurrences. Exacerbation is provoked by low body resistance, psychophysiological stresses, poor feeding, unfavorable endocrine profile etc.
Herpes contagion is the whole family of viruses, which cause maladies with different symptoms. This family includes several types:
1. HSV 1 affects skin around mouth, nose and lips. It has another name - cold sores. When you have such symptoms as pain, itching, burning, tingling; your skin becomes red - then you are sure to experience an outbreak. But if you have more pictures as fever, headache, muscle pain, common fatigue - then you are likely to get primary HSV. Be careful if you know someone with visible symptoms, as such patient is very contagious and simplex infection could be easily transmitted by kissing, having the same dishes or touching each other after having contact with open sores. Less common forms of this illness are eye-lesion, genital herpes, cerebral affection.
2. Genital herpes is more common in women than in men. Some scientists explain this phenomenon as a result of moisture in genital region in women. All in all, pictures of this disease are the same in everyone. Symptoms as redness, burning and itching are followed by the appearance of blisters. After a time they transform into sores, which could bleed if you hurt them.
3.Shingles.
4.Epstein-Barr virus.
5.Cytomegalovirus.