Herpes Virus
- double stranded DNA ~ 70 proteins
- types
a. neutropic alpha-group viruses
HSV1, HSV2, VZV
b. lymphotropic beta-group viruses
CMV, HHV6, HHV7
c. gamma group viruses
EBV, HHV8 (Kaposi's Sarcoma)
HSV1, HSV2
- cause vesicular lesions of the epidermis
- infect neurons
- primary HSV infection in immunocompetent resolve in few weeks (VIRUS LATENT IN NERVE CELLS)
HSV morphology
- formation of large, pink to purple (Cowdry type A) intranuclear inclusions that contain intact and disrupted virions and push darkly stained host cell chromatins to the edge of nucleus
inclusion-bearing multinucleated syncitia
Manifest
- cold sore, fever blister
- gingivostomatitis
- genital herpes
- corneal lesions (herpes epithelial keratitis, herpes stromal keratitis)
