Herpesviruses.
No Thumbnail Available
Authors
Davison S.
JefferySmith, A.
Contact
Check for full-text access
Issue Date
2026
Type
Article
Language
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Nine herpesviruses from three subfamilies (alpha, beta, gamma) are known to infect humans. The hallmark of infection is the ability to establish latency and reactivate during immunosuppression. The alpha-herpesviruses (herpes simplex virus 1 and 2, varicella-zoster virus) are the cause of significant morbidity and mortality at the extremes of age and in immunosuppressed individuals, with a significant cost to healthcare systems worldwide. Current treatment, although effective, needs improvement; new vaccines and drugs with novel therapeutic targets offer potential to reduce disease burden. Of the beta-herpesviruses, cytomegalovirus is the most clinically significant, being the most common infectious cause of birth defects. Additionally, it causes morbidity and mortality after both haemopoietic and solid organ transplantation where prophylactic and pre-emptive antiviral strategies have been developed. Human herpesvirus 6 is associated with a range of syndromes in highly immunosuppressed patients and is chromosomally integrated in up to 1% of the population, the significance of which is not clear. The lymphotropic gamma-herpesviruses, Epstein-Barr virus and human herpesvirus 8, are associated with lymphoproliferative disorders and malignancies. Management options include treating any underlying immune deficiency, chemotherapy, B cell depletion therapy and adoptive T cell transfer, but there is no clear role for antiviral therapy. Copyright © 2025 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Description
Citation
Publisher
License
Journal
Medicine (United Kingdom)
Volume
54
Issue
3