Table 1.
Overview and Epidemiology of Herpes Viruses
| Common Name | Formal Name | Prevalence | Primary Targets | Transmission | Sites of Latency | Primary Disease |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herpes Simplex Virus-1 | HHV1 | 50–80% | mucoepithelia | oropharyngeal contact | Sensory and cranial nerve ganglia | cold sores |
| Herpes Simplex Virus- 2 | HHV 2 | 20–25% | mucoepithelia | sexual contact, congenital | Sensory nerve ganglia | genital lesions |
| Varicella Zoster Virus | HHV 3 | >90% (prevaccine) | mucoepithelia | airborne | dorsal root ganglia | chicken pox |
| Epstein-Barr Virus | HHV 4 | 95% | Epithelial, oral lymphoid cells | saliva | B lymphocytes | infectious mononucleosis |
| Cytomegalovirus | HHV 5 | 50–80% | Monocytes, lymphocytes, and epithelia | saliva, sexual contact, congenital, blood transfusions, transplant | Monocytes, Lymphocytes | asymptomatic, mono-like symptoms |
| Roseola Virus | HHV 6, 7 | 100% | T cells | saliva | various leukocytes | asymptomatic (90%), roseola infantum (10%) |
| Kaposi Sarcoma associated Virus | HHV 8 | varies | Lymphocytes and epithelia | sexual contact, saliva | B cells | asymptomatic, oncogenic in immune-suppressed |