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Health and Medicine - How Many Types Of Herpes Virus Are There?

How many types of herpes virus are there?

There are eight types of human herpes virus. Most are characterized by eruptions of small, usually painful, skin blisters:

Herpes simplex type 1 —causes recurrent cold sores and infections of the lips, mouth, and face. This virus is contagious and spreads by direct contact with the lesions or fluid from the lesions. Cold sores usually recur at sites where there is an elevated temperature due to fever or prolonged sun exposure. Occasionally this virus may cause blisters on the fingers. If the virus gets into the eye, it can cause conjunctivitis (swelling of the inner surface of the eyelids, sometimes called "pink-eye") or even a corneal ulcer (open sore on the cornea). On rare occasions, it can spread to the brain and cause the brain disease encephalitis.

Herpes simplex type 2—causes genital herpes, as well as infections that are passed on to a...

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