Herpes Viruses Association

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The Herpes Association (now the Herpes Viruses Association) was started in 1982. It is a support group for people with Herpes simplex virus. It conducts information campaigns and attempts to reduce the stigma associated with sexually transmitted diseases.

It became a registered charity with a Dept of Health grant in 1985. The charity started as a string of local group meetings before acquiring an office and a national spread. [1] [2] It is widely referred to as a source of help for patients who are anxious about the conditions, [3] primarily genital herpes. [4]

The Association campaigns against the transmission of herpes being treated as a criminal offence. It supported David Golding who was convicted and imprisoned for infecting a woman with genital herpes in 2011. [5] Their spokesman said the sentence for causing grievous bodily harm was ‘outrageous’ and compared it to prosecuting children for giving their friends chicken pox, or passing on a cold sore. [6]

It supported the campaign to keep the sexual health services of the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in 2014. [7]

It carried out a double-blind trial of liquorice lip balm on forty people in 2014 and found that it reduced the severity of symptoms in most subjects. [8] Marian Nicholson, the Director of the Association, is frequently quoted in relation to research into the development of remedies. [9] [10]

Dr Phil Hammond (comedian) is the president of the association. Between 1993 and 2002 Clare Rayner was one of its patrons.

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Herpes simplex Viral disease caused by herpes simplex viruses

Herpes simplex is a viral infection caused by the herpes simplex virus. Infections are categorized based on the part of the body infected. Oral herpes involves the face or mouth. It may result in small blisters in groups often called cold sores or fever blisters or may just cause a sore throat. Genital herpes, often simply known as herpes, may have minimal symptoms or form blisters that break open and result in small ulcers. These typically heal over two to four weeks. Tingling or shooting pains may occur before the blisters appear. Herpes cycles between periods of active disease followed by periods without symptoms. The first episode is often more severe and may be associated with fever, muscle pains, swollen lymph nodes and headaches. Over time, episodes of active disease decrease in frequency and severity. Other disorders caused by herpes simplex include: herpetic whitlow when it involves the fingers, herpes of the eye, herpes infection of the brain, and neonatal herpes when it affects a newborn, among others.

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Herpes labialis A herpes simplex virus infection of the lip

Herpes labialis, commonly known as cold sores, is a type of infection by the herpes simplex virus that affects primarily the lip. Symptoms typically include a burning pain followed by small blisters or sores. The first attack may also be accompanied by fever, sore throat, and enlarged lymph nodes. The rash usually heals within 10 days, but the virus remains dormant in the trigeminal ganglion. The virus may periodically reactivate to create another outbreak of sores in the mouth or lip.

The epidemiology of herpes simplex is of substantial epidemiologic and public health interest. Worldwide, the rate of infection with herpes simplex virus—counting both HSV-1 and HSV-2—is around 90%. Although many people infected with HSV develop labial or genital lesions, the majority are either undiagnosed or display no physical symptoms—individuals with no symptoms are described as asymptomatic or as having subclinical herpes.

Herpes simplex research includes all medical research that attempts to prevent, treat, or cure herpes, as well as fundamental research about the nature of herpes. Examples of particular herpes research include drug development, vaccines and genome editing. HSV-1 and HSV-2 are commonly thought of as oral and genital herpes respectively, but other members in the herpes family include chickenpox, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Epstein-Barr (EBV). There are many more members that infect animals other than humans, some of which cause disease in companion animals or have economic impacts in the agriculture industry.

<i>Human alphaherpesvirus 1</i> species of virus

Human alphaherpesvirus 1 (HHV-1) is a species of virus in the genus Simplexvirus, subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae, family Herpesviridae, and order Herpesvirales.

Human alphaherpesvirus 2 (HHV-2) is a species of virus in the genus Simplexvirus, subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae, family Herpesviridae, and order Herpesvirales.

References

  1. ↑ "UK Herpes Support Groups".
  2. ↑ "The Herpes Viruses Association". Archived from the original on 2015-01-13.
  3. ↑ "Gynaecological infections". Nursing in practice. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  4. ↑ "Genital herpes". NHS Choices. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  5. ↑ "David Golding: Court criticised over herpes infector ruling". BBC News. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  6. ↑ "Outrage After U.K. Man Jailed for Giving Partner Genital Herpes". Fox News. 16 August 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  7. ↑ "Chester doctors go to war with council over sexual health". Chester Chronicle. 3 December 2014. Archived from the original on 26 July 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  8. ↑ "Kiss cold sores goodbye this Valentines". Cheshire Today. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  9. ↑ "Cranberries 'could treat herpes'". BBC News. 17 October 2004. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  10. ↑ "Your partner has herpes – now the good news". New Scientist. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
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