Herpes viruses
(Redirected from CMV)
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There are 8 different types of Herpes viruses in the family:
Herpes simplex (1+2)
About
- Spread by direct contact
- Commonly sexual
- You can never completely eliminate it, just goes dormant
Pathology
- Cold sores - generally orally and genitally.
Treatment
Varicella zoster (3)
About
- Shows as an itchy, scabby rash.
- Spread by droplet infection - or by rubbing scabs on you.
Pathology
- Chickenpox - common in kids.
- Shingles - worse in adults, shows along the exact line of a root ganglion
Treatment
Cytomegalovirus (4)
About
- Spread by oral contact
- Also known as an infection in pregnancy.
- You can never completely eliminate it, just goes dormant
Pathology
- Infectious mononucleosis sort of condition (see EBV) - suspect if EBV test negative
- Suspect in hepatitis if hepatitis virus serology comes back negative
- Can be very serious in immunocompromised individuals.
Treatment
Epstein-Barr virus (5)
About
- Known as the kissing virus.
- Incubation period of 1-2 months
Pathology
- Causes infectious mononucleosis (or glandular fever, known as the kissing disease.
- Implicated in causing lymphoma. Try to avoid it.
Treatment
- None available.
Human herpesviruses (6-8)
Basically not that important. 6 and 7 can cause roseola infantum. I don't know what that is. Type 8 can cause Kaposi Sarcoma, which is a big issue in HIV.