herpes

Cold sores

Key facts Cold sores are small blisters, usually near the mouth. Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus. Cold sores should heal on their own within 2 weeks. You can’t cure cold sores, but medicines can help ease the symptoms. Cold sores don’t cause complications in most people, but newborn babies and people with weakened immune systems have a higher risk. What are cold sores? Cold sores are small blister-like spots that appear in or around the outside of the mouth and are caused by infection with the herpes simplex virus. There is no cure for cold sores,

Shingles

Key facts Shingles is an infection that causes a painful, blistering rash. It is most common in people over 50 years. Shingles can be treated with antiviral medicine. You can’t catch shingles from someone who has shingles, but you can get chickenpox from someone who has shingles if you have never had chickenpox or the chickenpox vaccine. The shingles vaccine helps prevent you from getting shingles. What is shingles? Shingles is a viral infection that causes a painful, blistering rash. Who can get shingles? You can only get shingles if you have had chickenpox. It’s possible to have had chickenpox

Roseola infantum

Key facts Roseola infantum (‘roseola’) is a contagious, common viral infection that can cause a high fever followed by a rash. Roseola spreads by coughing, sneezing and direct contact. There is no specific treatment for roseola. If your child has roseola, they will need to rest and drink fluids (water, breastmilk or formula) to stay hydrated. Your doctor may recommend paracetamol or ibuprofen to help with the fever. There is no vaccine for roseola. What is roseola? Roseola infantum (or ‘roseola’) is a contagious, common viral infection that can cause a high fever followed by a rash. It spreads through

Anogenital herpes

Overview Anogenital herpes is caused by herpes simplex virus 1 & 2 and leads to painful ulcerated genital lesions. Anogenital herpes is characterised by multiple, painful, ulcerated genital lesions. They arise as small vesicles that progress to pustules, which subsequently ulcerate and crust over. Anogenital herpes can be caused by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1) or herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV2), which are both part of the larger family of human herpesviruses (HHVs). This family also includes varicella-zoster virus, Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus.     Epidemiology Worldwide there are over 23 million cases of HSV infection per year. HSV-1 is

Kaposi sarcoma

Key facts Kaposi sarcoma is a type of cancer that affects the lining of your blood and lymphatic vessels. It can cause reddish patches that may be visible on the skin. It is caused by the human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8), though not all people with HHV-8 will develop Kaposi sarcoma. People who have HHV-8 and a weakened immune system are more likely to develop Kaposi sarcoma. Kaposi sarcoma is diagnosed with a biopsy (a sample of tissue that is removed and checked for cancer cells). Treatment will depend on your general health, the health of your immune system, and where

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

What is CMV? Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a very common virus in the herpes virus family. Around 1 in 2 people have been infected with CMV by young adulthood and up to 9 out of 10 people have been infected by 40 years of age. CMV may stay in a your body for years without causing any problems. What are the symptoms of CMV? The symptoms of CMV can vary. Some people have no symptoms. Others might have symptoms such as: fever tiredness sore throat swollen glands abdominal (tummy) pain Some people can become seriously ill. Most people who become seriously

Genital herpes

Key facts Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 or type 2. It may cause small ulcers or blisters, and stinging or tingling in the genital area, but some people don’t have any signs or symptoms. You can prevent passing on genital herpes if you have it, but you may not know you have it if you don’t have symptoms. If you have genital herpes, you can take antiviral medicines to help your sores heal more quickly, and make the flare-up shorter and less severe — medicines will also reduce your risk