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Oral Herpes

Oral Herpes Overview

Oral herpes is an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. The virus causes painful sores on your lips, gums, tongue, roof of your mouth, and inside your cheeks. It also can cause symptoms such as fever and muscle aches.

  • The herpes simplex virus affects only humans. Mouth sores most commonly occur in children aged 1-2 years, but they can affect people at any age and any time of the year.

  • People contract herpes by touching infected saliva, mucous membranes, or skin. Because the virus is highly contagious, most people have been infected by at least 1 herpes subtype before adulthood.

  • After the herpes virus infects you, it has a rather unique ability to proceed to 3 stages.

    • Primary infection: The virus enters your skin or mucous membrane and reproduces. During this stage, oral sores and other symptoms, such as fever, may develop.

      • The virus may not cause any sores and symptoms. You may not know that you have it. This is called asymptomatic infection.

      • Asymptomatic infection occurs twice as often as the disease with symptoms.

    • Latency: From the infected site, the virus moves to a mass of nervous tissue in your spine called the dorsal root ganglion. There the virus reproduces again and becomes inactive.

    • Recurrence: When you encounter certain stresses, emotional or physical, the virus may reactivate and cause new sores and symptoms.



Next: Oral Herpes Causes »

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Oral Herpes

Flu in Children »

Flu in Children Overview

Influenza is an acute infection caused by any of three types of viruses (A, B, or C). Type A strains are associated with the most severe disease. Many people confuse influenza or flu with the common cold. In 2009, a new type A strain emerged called H1N1. Because there is little immunity in the human population, to the H1N1 strain, it has the ability to spread easily from person to person worldwide and sicken even more people than a usual seasonal strain. When this happens, it is called a pandemic.

  • Flu is an acute infection of the airway tract in the nose and throat that can sometimes spread down into the lungs. Flu in adults is a frequent cause of acute respiratory illness. Flu, however, affects people of all ages. Children are among the groups most at risk for developing flu and its complications and are more likely to spread the infection to others.
  • Flu season begins every year mainly in late fall and early...

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Read What Your Physician is Reading on eMedicine

Herpes Simplex Encephalitis »

The human herpesvirus (HHV) family includes 2 clinically important strains, also known as herpes simplex virus (HSV).

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