herpes simplex virus infection
Release time : 12/13/2024 15:18:28
Herpes simplex virus is extremely common, and it can be transmitted directly or indirectly through the use of utensils contaminated with saliva.
What exactly is herpes simplex virus infection? Simply put, the infection caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a contagious disease.
The human herpes simplex virus is divided into two types, namely Herpes Simplex Virus Type I (HSV-I) and Herpes Simplex Virus Type II (HSV-II).
Type I primarily causes infections of the skin, mucous membranes (oral mucosa), and organs (brain).
Type II, primarily causing skin and mucosal infections in the genital area.
Viruses enter the body through respiratory, oral, genital mucous membranes, and damaged skin. They reside in normal human tissues, blood, saliva, and sensory ganglia cells.
When the body's resistance decreases, such as during fever, gastrointestinal dysfunction, menstrual cycle, pregnancy, infection of lesions or emotional changes, the latent HSV is activated to cause disease.
Herpes simplex virus (HSV)-induced infectious disease.
HSV can be divided into 1 type (HSV-1) and 2 types (HSV-2).
Common HSV infections include recurrent genital herpes, cutaneous herpes, acute herpetic stomatitis, and acute herpetic conjunctivitis.
Rare acute encephalomyelitis infections include meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis and root neuritis.
HSV is very common. According to surveys of HSV antibodies in the population, about 90% children aged 10 have HSV antibody, and 100% adults do. This indicates that they have been infected with HSV.
Some patients with organ transplantation and receiving immunosuppressive agents and antitumor drugs may develop generalized herpes infections or even death due to their immune deficiency.
Moreover, a lot of data shows that HSV-1 infection is related to the ulcerative gingivitis and HSV-2 infection may be related to the occurrence of cervical cancer. Therefore, all countries attach great importance to the research and control of HSV and its infection.
What are the symptoms of herpes simplex virus infection? It is understood that the incubation period for HSV infection ranges from 2 to 12 days, with an average of 6 days. Different clinical types can have different clinical manifestations. What symptoms are present in individuals infected with herpes simplex virus? It is important to note that after HSV infection, rapid immunity is produced, and lesions are limited to the skin and mucous membranes. However, in infants and individuals with immune deficiencies (such as those undergoing organ transplantation or who are receiving immunosuppressive agents and antineoplastic treatments), HSV infection often spreads systemically, such as to the brain, liver, lungs, eyes, adrenal glands, and other parts of the body, leading to severe conditions and a high mortality rate.
In cases of extensive skin damage, such as eczema and burns, HSV infection often manifests as widespread vesicular rashes on the skin and mucous membranes and can cause systemic disseminated lesions, presenting a severe condition.
Let's take a look at the specific symptom manifestations! 1. Early symptoms: The lesion can occur anywhere on the skin or mucosa, most commonly around the mouth and lips, conjunctiva, cornea, and the genital area. It begins with itching and tension.
Subsequently, a rash appears, characterized by clustered small blisters on the affected area or normal skin. The blisters are clear and translucent, later turning cloudy, and when ruptured, exude purulent discharge, leading to crusting and scabbing. Lymph nodes in the vicinity may enlarge. The condition generally resolves within 1 to 2 weeks, with temporary pigmentation persisting after recovery.
2. The typical lesion of primary HSV-1 infection is stomatitis, which is most commonly observed in infants and young children. Symptoms include irritability, refusal to eat, fever, and swollen gums, as well as painful oral ulcers.
Primary HSV-2 infection mainly occurs in the external genitalia, vagina, and penis, and is seen in young people. The disease is accompanied by fever, general discomfort, and swelling and pain of inguinal lymph nodes. HSV-2 infection can occur in newborns and cause severe disseminated diseases.
3. Ulcerative anal inflammatory disease, pneumonia, and neurological syndromes.
4. Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) can cause severe encephalitis, and HSV-2 is also associated with typically self-limiting aseptic meningitis and sacrococcygeal myelitis syndrome, which is characterized by urinary retention and constipation.
The route of transmission for herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection is not well understood, but it is widely believed that the virus enters through mucous membranes. HSV can cause a variety of symptoms and complications, including fever, headache, swollen lymph nodes, and skin rashes. In severe cases, HSV infection can lead to blindness, deafness, or other serious health issues. Therefore, it is important to take precautions against HSV infection and seek medical attention if you are experiencing any symptoms of HSV infection.
What are the modes of transmission for herpes simplex virus? Humans are the sole natural hosts for this virus, which is present in the aqueous fluids, saliva, and feces of patients, recovered individuals, or healthy carriers. The primary mode of transmission is direct contact, but it can also be spread through contaminated utensils due to saliva.
The virus enters the human body through mucous membranes such as the nose, throat, conjunctiva, and genital areas. It grows and reproduces on these mucous membranes before spreading through the blood or nerves.
Herpes simplex virus, which predominantly attacks the skin-mucosal junctions such as at the corners of the mouth, lips, nostrils, glans penis, and vulva.
The infection can also be passed to the infant during childbirth.
What should be done for newborn herpes simplex virus infection? It is understood that newborn herpes simplex viral infection (Herpes simplex viral infection of newborn) is a systemic infection, commonly seen in preterm infants, and the lesions involve multiple organs, with a severe prognosis.
Herpes simplex virus is a double-stranded DNA virus, which can be divided into two types: Type I mainly causes vesicular rashes in the mouth, throat, and pharynx; Type II causes genital herpes.
HSV infections in newborns are mostly caused by Type II, with occasional cases due to Type I.
HSV has characteristics of long-term latency, recurrent attacks and neurotropism.
What should be done about the infection of newborn with herpes simplex virus? It is closely related to early diagnosis and timely and effective treatment.
Antiviral therapy is significantly effective in treating neonatal HSV infection.
Infants with disseminated or central nervous system viral infections had a mortality rate of 70% in the placebo group compared to 40% in the acyclovir group.
But, whether with adenosine or acyclovir therapy, there is still over 50% of infants dying from disseminated infection.
There is an 8% recurrence of CNS infection in survivors of disseminated or central nervous system infections, and it is unclear whether long-term treatment or prophylaxis will reduce the recurrence.
Treatment prior to progression of infection, although nearly half of the infants will have recurrent skin lesions within 6 months after complete treatment, all infants can survive and 90% of them can recover.
For infants with encephalitis, despite treatment, there is a 15% mortality rate and only about 50% of survivors are normal at one year.
How can the herpes simplex virus infection be prevented? After learning a lot about the herpes simplex virus infection, do you feel that it's time to prioritize prevention? Let's take a look at how to prevent the herpes simplex virus infection. Due to its widespread prevalence and the high incidence of asymptomatic carriers in the general population, especially among patients with recurrent infections, there are currently no specific preventive methods available, making prevention challenging.
Patients should be isolated, especially those who are neonates, patients with eczema, burn patients and patients on immunosuppressive drugs.
Herpes simplex virus should be treated as a sexually transmitted disease.
For pregnant women, examinations should include the detection of genital HSV infection and prompt prevention and treatment to prevent congenital and neonatal HSV infections.
Some people claim that for pregnant women with genital herpes who are in their 36th week of pregnancy, it is better to perform a cesarean section to prevent newborn infection.
The HSV vaccine has been successfully developed, but due to issues such as latency infection and the prevention of recurrent HSV infections, it has not yet been widely used.
The preventive effect of γ-globulin is not yet confirmed.
However, the development and widespread application of HSV attenuated live vaccine will play a significant role in controlling the occurrence of HSV infection.
The medical content discussed in this text is for reference only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice.
In cases of discomfort, it is recommended to seek medical attention immediately. The diagnosis and treatment should be based on the medical examination conducted in person.