To date, there is no cure for HSV infection, except for some antiviral drugs that can reduce the severity of the symptoms. The medical costs related to HSV have exceeded USD 500 million in the US alone in the past decade. Individuals who contract HSV may or may not show symptoms that increase the risk of spreading the disease unknowingly. Neonatal herpes in infants can occur upon exposure to HSV infection, mostly acquired from infected mothers, causing lifetime neurological defects and death. Immune deficient HIV patients are at higher risk, with the chance of developing drug-resistant HSV infection. Studies have shown that HSV can evade the immune system and mediate cell-to-cell propagation. Upon experiencing proper stimulus, it travels through the epithelial cells, causing characteristic symptoms like genital lesions, oral ulcers, and blisters. Upon entering the host body, the virus can stay dormant, generally located in the axons of the peripheral nervous system neuron. The virus is transmitted to a seronegative individual via abraded skin or mucosal surface. This staggering number of positive cases worldwide can be attributed to the highly infectious nature of this virus. It has been estimated that more than 500 million people globally, including 50 million in the US, have been infected with HSV. Herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) are DNA-based viruses from the Herpesviridae family, responsible for causing herpes (genital or oral) and fulminate encephalitis in humans.
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