Alzheimer’s disease: mounting evidence that herpes virus is a cause

We discovered in 1991 that in many elderly people HSV1 is also present in the brain. And in 1997 we showed that it confers a strong risk of Alzheimer’s disease when present in the brain of people who have a specific gene known as APOE4. The virus can become active in the brain, perhaps repeatedly, and this probably causes cumulative damage. The likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease is 12 times greater for APOE4 carriers who have HSV1 in the brain than for those with neither factor.

 Everything You Need To Know About Herpes Treatment

Ultimately, herpes is a common virus that doesn’t deserve the stigma it gets. “It’s a very survivable diagnosis. People can have beautiful, loving relationships with one partner or with multiple partners, and it’s not limiting,” Dr. Loanzon says. “It can be very scary in the beginning, but they’re not alone. There are plenty of people thriving with the virus without any issues.”

 Herpes Is Slowly Retreating, but the Infection Remains Common

The prevalence of both genital and oral herpes simplex virus infections has declined steadily since 2000. Still, roughly half of middle-aged Americans are infected.

 Line is blurring between human herpes simplex viruses

Though HSV-1 classically causes oral lesions and HSV-2 genital lesions, genital herpes due to HSV-1 is becoming increasingly common. The authors speculate that by leading to more genital HSV-1/HSV-2 coinfections this trend could result in the creation of more HSV-1/HSV-2 recombinant viruses.

 Most of us have viruses sleeping inside us, and spaceflight wakes them up

A new study published last month in Frontiers in Microbiology reports that herpes viruses lying dormant inside the body become reactivated in more than half of all astronauts sent into space, potentially exacerbating what is already a high-risk environment. While we've yet to run into any kind of worrisome situation resulting from this phenomenon, those concerns loom larger as we set our sights on longer duration missions in orbit and seek to send astronauts back to the moon and on to Mars.

 The Dying Scientist and His Rogue Vaccine Trial

Bill Halford was convinced he'd found a miracle cure, but he was running out of time to prove it. So he teamed up with a Hollywood executive and recruited a band of desperate patients.

 When Herpes Infects the Eye

It’s a major cause of blindness, but scientists may have identified a surprising new way to treat it in mice.

Bad news: you probably have herpes and don't know it

Yes, I'm talking to you. About 70% of Americans ages 14 to 49 have herpes, that is either the HSV-1 or HSV-2 versions. These viruses used to be clearly demarcated as oral and genital herpes, but these days it's clear that both can cause both types of infections.

Did Big Pharma Create the Herpes Stigma for Profit?

Even though 90 percent of people have some form of herpes, the virus is heavily stigmatized. But the transition from "itchy annoyance" to shameful secret may not have been coincidental.

Everything You Think You Know About Herpes Is Wrong

While this news may be shocking--don't freak out. Herpes has been seriously stigmatized for years, but the fact is, if you don't have one type of herpes already, you're very likely to be exposed to it eventually. ... we bust eight big myths about this common infection. Here's what you need to know.

Good News: A Brand New News Site Cannot Give You Herpes

One news site has repeatedly exaggerated the prevalence of herpes. Here is the story of a young news site failing to admit it's wrong, and the basics of what you should know if you do get infected.

Herpes Simplex Virus Keratitis

Ocular herpetic disease is more frequently caused by HSV I, which is presumed to gain access to the cornea via direct contact or via the trigeminal nerve from oral infection. Initial infection typically remains asymptomatic.

Historical Background

Herpes Virus Infections have been prevalent as early as ancient Greek times. Hippocrates is known to have described the cutaneous spreading of herpes simplex lesions and scholars of Greek civilization define the greek word "herpes" to mean "to creep or crawl" in reference the spreading nature of the herpetic skin lesions

How a Simple Virus’ Genome Tells the Story of Human Migration

As with humans, the herpes simplex virus was born in Africa.

This may be the most promising herpes vaccine ever

Which is good because pretty much everyone has herpes.

You Probably Have Herpes, but It's Chill

"There's such a disconnect between cold sores and genital herpes," herpes activist Jenelle Marie Davis explains to Broadly. "There's a polarizing difference in the perception of the two, but when you look at the virus itself, they behave very similarly. People think one is the good herpes and one is the bad herpes, but that's not true." According to Davis, and many other experts, both types of herpes are actually pretty chill.