Herpes Simplex Type 1 Symptoms and Statistics HSV-1
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Herpes Simplex Type 1 Symptoms and Statistics HSV-1
- There are two different types of the herpes virus. HSV-1, or Herpes Simplex Virus type 1, is the type of Herpes that usually causes facial herpes or cold sores on the lips. An affected person with an HSV-1 affected area will create small blisters or sores on either the face, mouth (cold sores or fever blisters) or genitals.
- Genital contraction of HSV-1 is rare, but still tends to happen. Typically, the first outbreak is the most severe and can take up to a month dry up and scab over. The major reason for Herpes being so destructive is that between 10% and 30% of carriers are asymptomatic. Asymptomatic is referred to as the lack of signs of the disease even though one is infected. They may still spread herpes during the shedding of the skin. Herpes can become fatal in newborns and people who have acquired HIV.
- Many carriers HSV-1 are asymptomatic or show no symptoms of infection.
- Asymptomatic shedding, also known as the time period in which the infected area of the skin sheds, may occur in 2-9% of adults and 5-8% of children.
- Sunlight, fever, local skin trauma, stress, and menstruation are the cardinal factors in resulting outbreaks.
- By 50 years of age, 80%-90% of us harbor HSV-1, because we have caught it from someone close to us.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that just under 90 percent of the U.S. population has been exposed to the herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), and over 25 percent of the population ages 25 to 45 have been exposed to herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2) disease.
The second type of Herpes virus is known as HSV-2, or Herpes Simplex Virus type 2. Click here to view information on Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2.