A Practical Guide to Herpes Infections

As the term "herpes" implies, this family of viruses commonly "creeps" into the differential diagnosis of a number of adult and pediatric diseases. The herpesviruses are particularly important because the various diseases they cause are highly prevalent in the general population and frequently and severely affect immunocompromised patients (i.e., those who have HIV-1 infection or have undergone organ or tissue transplantation). All members of the herpesvirus family characteristically establish latency. After either primary infection or reactivation of latent infection, the herpesviruses are responsible for conditions ranging from asymptomatic viral shedding to disseminated life-threatening disease. Because many of the herpes infections respond to specific antiviral therapy, rapid laboratory confirmation of the type of virus involved is important. Herpesviruses cause many of the viral infectious diseases that result in patients seeking medical care. Therefore, medical personnel who deal with such patients need to be familiar with the infections associated with each type of virus, their epidemiologic features, clinical presentation, and diagnosis, and with the recommended therapeutic approaches. This handbook provides such information in succinct outline form, with emphasis on outpatient management.