Herpes 1HerpesHerpesMegan IacovettaEmergencies and Dental Office ComplianceMs. Kim MartinEverest InstituteLRSA4/10/14Herpes 2HerpesHerpesHerpes simplex virus is an infection that can affect the mouth, lips, genitals, and sometimes other parts of the body. I will discuss the signs, symptoms, and causes of herpes, as well as how to avoid getting this virus or passing it to others. Herpes 3HerpesThere are two main types of herpes simplex virus, HSV 1 usually oral and HSV 2 usually genital. HSV 1 is an infection of the lips, mouth or gums. This can cause small, painful blisters, commonly called cold sores or cold sores. It is so common that 80% of the population has it. Although HSV 2 can be spread to the mouth through oral sex, it is not as common. No one knows when the first HSV infections began. They date back to ancient Greece. Herpes is a Greek word meaning “creeping or crawling.” It was not recognized as transmissible from one individual to another until 1893. In the 1920s and 1930s, research into the natural history of HSV revealed that it infected not only the skin, but also the nervous system. HSV 1 is spread from person to person through mouth secretions or sores in or around the mouth. It is said that you can also transmit the virus by sharing objects that have been in contact with the virus, such as kitchen utensils, razors, lipstick, etc. but the virus dies very quickly outside the body. So unless the person has an active, open wound, it is not as common. Symptoms usually appear between 2 days and 2 weeks after initial exposure. They appear as an ulcer, blister or cluster... middle of paper ...... if you have a cold sore, don't have oral sex if you or your partner suffers from oral or genital herpes and you do not have it. Do not share any medications or makeup that may have come into contact with an infected area. Herpes -US National Library of Medicine and NIH National Institutes of Health, February 22, 2012, at www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001044.htm Updated by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director and Educational Program Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies Reviewed by: ADAM Health Solutions, Ebix, Inc., Editorial Team: David Zieve, MD, MHA, David R. Eltz, Stephanie Slon, and Nissi WangStanford>Historical Backgroundwww.stanford.edu /group/virus /herpes/History.html