Human Herpesviridae Infections
There are nine distinct viruses in this family known to cause disease in humans.
| Human Herpesvirus (HHV) classification | ||||||
| Type | Synonym | Subfamily | Primary Target Cell | Pathophysiology | Site of Latency | Means of Spread |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HHV‑1 | Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) | α (Alpha) | Mucoepithelial | Oral and/or genital herpes (predominantly orofacial), as well as other herpes simplex infections | Neuron | Close contact (oral or sexually transmitted infection) |
| HHV-2 | Herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) | α | Mucoepithelial | Oral and/or genital herpes (predominantly genital), as well as other herpes simplex infections | Neuron | Close contact (sexually transmitted disease) |
| HHV-3 | Varicella zoster virus (VZV) | α | Mucoepithelial | Chickenpox and shingles | Neuron | Respiratory and close contact (including sexually transmitted disease) |
| HHV-4 | Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), lymphocryptovirus | γ (Gamma) | B cells and epithelial cells | Infectious mononucleosis, Burkitt's lymphoma, CNS lymphoma in AIDS patients, post-transplant lymphoproliferative syndrome (PTLD), nasopharyngeal carcinoma, HIV-associated hairy leukoplakia |
B cell | Close contact, transfusions, tissue transplant, and congenital |
| HHV-5 | Cytomegalovirus (CMV) | β (Beta) | Monocyte, lymphocyte, and epithelial cells | Infectious mononucleosis-like syndrome, retinitis, etc. | Monocyte, lymphocyte, and ? | Saliva |
| HHV-6A and 6B | Roseolovirus, Herpes lymphotropic virus | β | T cells and ? | Sixth disease (roseola infantum or exanthem subitum) | T cells and ? | Respiratory and close contact? |
| HHV-7 | Pityriasis Rosea | β | T cells and ? | ? (roseola infantum or exanthem subitum) | T cells and ? | ? |
| HHV-8 | Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), a type of rhadinovirus |
γ | Lymphocyte and other cells | Kaposi's sarcoma, primary effusion lymphoma, some types of multicentric Castleman's disease | B cell | Close contact (sexual), saliva? |
Read more about this topic: Herpesviruses
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