An approximately 1-year-old domestic rabbit showed severe neurologic signs with circling and turning somersaults. Histologically, a nonsuppurative meningoencephalitis with neuronal cell necrosis and numerous intranuclear inclusion bodies in neurons and glial cells was found. Electron microscopic examination revealed herpesvirus particles in affected cells. A human herpes simplex virus was ident...

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection, though most commonly seen in the oral, perioral and genital areas, can occur anywhere on the body. After primary infection, HSV then establishes latency in sensory nerve ganglia and reactivates intermittently, precipitated by various factors. These reactivations may be recurrent and appear in a dermatomal distribution, mimicking herpes zoster, often leading...

A nonsense mutation (UAG) in the thymidine kinase gene of herpes simplex virus type 1 can be suppressed in vivo to produce active thymidine kinase by prior infection with a defective simian virus 40 stock which acts as a vector to introduce a functional suppressor tRNA gene into mammalian cells in culture. The suppression is specific for UAG, but not UGA or missense, mutants and restores thymid...

It has been proposed that intervertebral disc degeneration might be caused by low-grade infection. The purpose of the present study was to assess the incidence of herpes viruses in intervertebral disc specimens from patients with lumbar disc herniation. A polymerase chain reaction based assay was applied to screen for the DNA of eight different herpes viruses in 16 patients and two controls. DN...

JEADV 2006, 20, 868–902 © 2006 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology 889 4 Beasley KL, Cooley GE, Kao GF, Lowitt MH, Burnett JW, Aurelian L. Herpes simplex vegetans: atypical genital herpes infection in a patient with common variable immunodeficiency. J Am Acad Dermatol 1997; 37: 860–863. 5 Samaratunga H, Weedon D, Musgrave N, McCallum N. Atypical presentation of herpes simplex (chron...

Accurate identification of persons with genital herpes is necessary for optimal patient management and prevention of transmission. Because of inherent inaccuracies, clinical diagnosis of genital herpes should be confirmed by laboratory testing for the causative agents herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and HSV type 2 (HSV-2). Further identification of the HSV type is valuable for counselling o...

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) causes chickenpox and herpes zoster. Herpes zoster is a common infection in older adults and can lead to potentially debilitating postherpetic neuralgia. This article reviews the diagnosis and management of herpes zoster, including strategies to reduce disease frequency and severity with the herpes zoster vaccine.

The frequent occurrence of genital herpes continues to be a serious clinical problem. Although not life threatening, the physical symptoms of the disease, and the ensuing psychosocial complications, can be overwhelming to patients. The life cycle of the herpes simplex virus is complex, comprising multiple stages. Following infection, the virus establishes life-long latency in its host and can r...

BACKGROUND The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has been associated with a marked decrease in the prevalence of opportunistic infections in HIV-infected patients. However, chronic mucocutaneous herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection remains a difficult clinical challenge. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to optimize the diagnosis and follow-up of chronic HSV-2 infection in ...

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella-zoster virus (VZV) are both human alpha-herpes viruses. They are capable of establishing latent infections in neural tissues and to reactive from these sites, determining the clinical features of the disease (primary infection versus recurrences). Infections with these viruses are common; an increased number of elderly and immunocompromised individuals w...