Herpes simplex virus
species of virus
Herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) are two members of the human Herpesviridae family, a set of viruses that produce viral infections in the majority of humans. Both HSV-1 and HSV-2 are very common and contagious. They can be spread when an infected person begins shedding the virus.
As of 2016, about 67% of the world population under the age of 50 had HSV-1. Because it can be transmitted through any intimate contact, it is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections.
Symptoms
Many of those who are infected never develop symptoms. Symptoms, when they occur, may include watery blisters in the skin of any location of the body, or in mucous membranes of the mouth, lips, nose, genitals, or eyes (herpes simplex keratitis). Lesions heal with a scab characteristic of herpetic disease. Sometimes, the viruses cause mild or atypical symptoms during outbreaks. However, they can also cause more troublesome forms of herpes simplex.
The public source identifies “Herpes simplex virus” as species of virus. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Herpes, simplex and virus.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Herpes simplex virus”, the useful work is to connect “species of virus” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 8, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q655331. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2016.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
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- Expand the search: follow Herpes simplex virus primary sources, Herpes simplex virus archive and Herpes research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Herpes simplex virus” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.