Herpes Simplex Virus

Objectives After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Describe the epidemiology of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and the distinctive epidemio-logic features of HSV type 1 and type 2. 2. Characterize the pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of HSV infections in the neonate. 3. Explain the variety of clinical manifestations and methods of diagnosis of HSV infec-tions in older children and adolescents. 4. Discuss the appropriate potential prevention and therapy of HSV infections in infants, children, and adolescents. Background Herpes simplex infections have various presentations, depending on the immune status, the age of the host, and the route of transmission. Herpes simplex viruses (HSVs) are enveloped, double-stranded DNA viruses. The two serotypes of HSV are classified a