Herpes virus 1 and 2, are viruses that infect humans [2]. Herpes-1 is that virus which causes those annoying cold sores and watery blisters on the skin, mainly near the mouth, whereas herpes-2 is that virus which causes genital sores and blisters- both of which can be a total bummer [2,3].
Let me tell you one main fact about herpes: it is one heck of a contagious virus! You wouldn’t want to kiss your girlfriend on the mouth if she has a cold sore caused from herpes, let alone drinking from her glass of water! And if that is not enough for you, if a pregnant woman has genital herpes during delivery, her newborn baby may get herpes from the actual birth due to exposure to herpes caused blisters in the birth canal. And, last but not least- one can catch genital herpes through sexsual intercourse [2,3].
So, first thing’s first- lets say you caught herpes: what’s next? Besides the initial symptoms, the virus knows how to travel to your nerve cells, and transfer to a latent state, which is basically similer to falling asleep in your nerves. And, not only it goes to sleep, but it can hide from your immune system! How crazy is that? And finally, beware- if you are by any chance stressed prior to an exam or decided to go sunbathing or tanning at the beach, you may wake that darn devil up, and as a result he will travel back to your skin and you will get more cold sores on your mouth or blisters on your genitals, depends on which type of virus you have [2].
What is the Herpes Virus?