During the twentieth century, HSV research blossomed. Histopathologic studies characterized the multinucleated giant cells associated with herpesvirus infection. And in 1919, Lowenstein confirmed experimentally the infectious nature of HSV that Shakespeare had only suspected. In the 1920's and 1930's, the natural history of HSV was widely studied and it was found that HSV not only infects the skin, but also the central nervous system. In the 1930's, host immune responses to HSV were thoroughly examined and the property of HSV known as latency was characterized. By the 1940's and 1950's, research abounded on the many diseases caused by HSV. More recent research has focused on antiviral research, differences between HSV strains, and using HSV vectors for use in vaccines.
It is also evident that two thousand years ago, Roman Emperor Tiberius attempted to curb an epidemic of herpes labialis (mouth herpes) by outlawing kissing during public ceremonies and rituals.
The term herpes simplex was introduced in 1906 and included herpes labialis (cold sores) and herpes progenitalis (genital herpes) in the belief that both disorders were the same disease affecting different anatomic sites. Vidal (1873) first demonstrated herpes simplex to be infections caused by human inoculation.
The origin of herpes in human history is unknown. HSV-1 has probably been around as long as anyone could diagnose the distinctive fever blisters.
Studies of the elderly in Europe and the United States have shown that 90% have been exposed to the virus. The spread of HSV-1 has declined with the understanding that the herpetic sores shed the virus and that these can be spread with just a kiss. HSV-2 is primarily passed on by sexual contact between humans.
Herpetic whitlow is a herpes infection in the fingers which occurred in dental personnel before the era of mandatory glove use. Like herpetic lesions elsewhere on the body, the herpes outbreaks are often painful and at times disabling.
Herpetic whitlow is a herpes infection in the fingers which occurred in dental personnel before the era of mandatory glove use. Like herpetic lesions elsewhere on the body, the herpes outbreaks are often painful and at times disabling.
The herpes virus is related to viruses that cause chicken pox, shingles, infectious mononucleosis and Epstein-Barr. The Epstein-Barr Virus was discovered in 1964 by M. Anthony Epstein and co-workers in Burkitt's lymphoma cells.
However, it wasn't until 1968 that Gertrude and Werner Henle discovered it was actually a herpes virus and, after one of their lab technicians came down with mononucleosis, discovered its link with the herpes simplex virus.
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) too was only isolated recently. It was first found in patients with congenital cytomegalic inclusion disease. The recent isolation can probably be explained by the fact that it almost never is symptomatic in the immunocompetant patient. So, despite the ubiquity of CMV's worldwide distribution, so few people are symptomatic that CMV was not recognized until recently. All of the diseases associated with CMV are characterized by enlarged cells, after which the name cytomegalovirus derives.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article about the history of herpes, you can also look at What is herpes? for more herpes insight