Herpes: can it be treated?

Genital herpes cannot be cured, but it can be treated. Antiviral medications are available to help reduce the symptoms of genital herpes and decrease the number of recurrences. These antiviral medications include acyclovir, famciclovir, and valacyclovir. Valacyclovir can also be used to reduce the risk of transmitting herpes to your sex partner(s). It should be used in combination with safer sex. You should discuss the value of using antiviral medications with your physician.

Here are some suggestions if you have, or think you may have, a first episode of genital herpes:

Go to your doctor or clinic as soon as possible. Early diagnosis and treatment will help you to feel substantially better more quickly.Have a trained professional diagnose the problem and confirm the presence of herpes by a virus test taken from the affected area (a culture test is the most common method, but a blood test for antibodies may also be used). A blood test for syphilis, HIV, and possibly hepatitis B may also be performed.If the pain is severe, you may wish to take a prescription pain reliever.If it is helpful, take very warm showers to run warm water over the area 3 or 4 times a day.When you get out of the shower or bath, blow dry the genital area with a hair dryer. Set the temperature on low or cool.Make sure you are passing urine without difficulty. Try urinating in the shower or tub to decrease the sting. Pouring a glass of warm water over the area may also be helpful. Some people have found that drinking a lot of water (8 glasses a day) dilutes the urine enough that it hurts less.If you cannot pass urine and you've tried several times, wait a couple of hours - even 3 or 4. If there is still no result, you must get medical attention. Not passing urine can lead to serious problems, but they can generally be prevented. Either visit your own doctor or go to the emergency room of a local hospital.Avoid wearing tight underwear. If possible, do without underwear altogether. Try wearing loose clothes made of pure cotton. When you get home, take a shower or soak in the tub. Leave your clothes off if you can.Talk to your physician about the value to you of using antiviral medications.Avoid (because they may be worse than doing nothing):cortisone cream or ointmentantibiotic cream or ointmentany cream or ointment that does not contain a useful, specific antiherpes drugpetrolatum (e.g., Vaseline®)antibiotics (unless you have a clear-cut secondary infection)alcohol (because it stings)ether (because it stings and can catch fire)DMSO (dimethyl sulfoxide)Avoid (because they are of no proven benefit):

If you have your first episode of herpes during pregnancy, consult your physician as soon as possible about what you can do to reduce your baby's risk of infection. Take care of yourself by giving yourself time to heal, treating any other infections, and treating your herpes.

It is hard to learn and figure out everything all at once, but the answers will come. Your ability to cope and your methods for coping will also evolve. Speak to your doctor about how to cope with herpes and reduce the risk of passing the infection on to your sex partner(s).

With recurrent herpes, it is important to fully understand the active phases of infection so you can avoid contact when necessary. It is also important to use safer sex precautions, such as condoms and dental dams, for the prevention of herpes and other sexually transmitted infections. Since people can spread the herpes virus even when they have no noticeable symptoms, it's important to take these precautions at all times. It's important to know that condoms don't provide complete protection from herpes, since they don't always cover all affected skin.

If you are facing issues such as loneliness and the fear of discussing herpes with new partners, keep in mind that these are very common issues and that frustrations can be overcome through a commitment to yourself and to your ability to grow from this experience. In addition, you may wish to have treatment for recurrent herpes. People with recurrent genital herpes now have choices to make regarding antiviral treatment for control of the infection. Talk to your doctor about medications that might help treat your symptoms, reduce the number of outbreaks, or reduce your risk of passing on herpes to your sex partner(s).

Stephen L. Sacks, MD, FRCPC, with revisions by the MediResource clinical team

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NIH launches trial of investigational genital herpes vaccine

Researchers have launched an early-stage clinical trial of an investigational vaccine designed to prevent genital herpes disease. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, is sponsoring the Phase I trial, which is being conducted at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Md.

Genital herpes is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in the United States. Most genital herpes cases are caused by infection with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2); however, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) can also cause genital herpes. An estimated 776,000 people in the United States are infected with HSV-2 or HSV-1 each year. There is no vaccine to prevent genital herpes.

“Although genital herpes is treatable, it is a lifelong infection that can exact a substantial psychological and physical toll on infected individuals and places them at higher risk of acquiring HIV,” said NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, M.D. “Furthermore, mothers with active genital herpes infection at time of delivery can transmit the virus to their newborns, which can lead to severe illness and death.”

“A protective vaccine would help to reduce significantly the spread of this all-too- common sexually transmitted infection,” Fauci added.

Led by principal investigator Lesia K. Dropulic, M.D., of NIAID’s Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, the trial will test an investigational HSV-2 vaccine candidate, called HSV529, for safety and the ability to generate an immune system response. The investigational vaccine manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur was developed by David Knipe, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunobiology at Harvard Medical School, Boston.

Preclinical testing of the candidate vaccine involved a 10-year collaborative effort between Dr. Knipe and Jeffrey Cohen, M.D., chief of NIAID’s Laboratory of Infectious Diseases.  The experimental product is a replication-defective vaccine, meaning that scientists have removed two key proteins from the vaccine virus so that it cannot multiply to cause genital herpes.

The clinical trial is expected to enroll 60 adults ages 18 to 40, who will be divided into three groups of 20 participants each. The first group will be of people who have been previously infected with HSV-2 and HSV-1 or solely with HSV-2; the second will have individuals who had been infected with HSV-1 only; and the third will consist of those who have not been  infected with HSV-1 or HSV-2. The investigational vaccine is being tested among study participants who have previously been infected with HSV to determine if it may pose any safety issues.

Within each of the three groups, researchers will randomly assign participants to receive three doses (0.5 milliliters each) of the investigational HSV529 vaccine (15 participants) or a saline-based placebo vaccine (five participants). The three vaccinations will occur at study enrollment and again one month and six months later. Participant safety will be monitored throughout the course of the trial, and researchers will follow participants for six months after they have received their last dose of vaccine. Blood samples will be used to evaluate the candidate vaccine’s ability to stimulate immune system responses to HSV-2, including production of virus-specific antibodies and T-cell responses. The study is expected to be completed by October 2016.

HSV-2 is generally transmitted through sexual contact and can spread even when the infected individual shows no symptoms. Although HSV-1 commonly infects the mouth and lips, it can also cause genital herpes. Once in the body, HSV migrates to nerve cells and remains there permanently, where it can reactivate to cause painful sores and blisters.

For more information about this clinical trial, see http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov using the identifier NCT01915212.

NIAID conducts and supports research—at NIH, throughout the United States, and worldwide—to study the causes of infectious and immune-mediated diseases, and to develop better means of preventing, diagnosing and treating these illnesses. News releases, fact sheets and other NIAID-related materials are available on the NIAID Web site at http://www.niaid.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH...Turning Discovery Into Health®

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Genital Herpes May Never Go Dormant

By Jennifer Thomas
HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Herpes, the sexually transmitted disease that causes genital lesions, never truly goes into a dormant state, new research suggests.

As a matter of fact, even when it's not causing an outbreak, the virus is shedding tiny bits of itself in the genital tract.

While the study did not specifically address whether or not the very small amounts of virus being continually shed are enough to infect someone else, the findings have the potential to change the way in which scientists view the life cycle of the disease.

The herpes virus is believed to hide out in the neurons around the spine during latent periods, then periodically travel down neurons that end in the genital tract, where it infects the skin cells, causing a lesion.

The accepted view is that the virus was largely inactive during latent periods, said study author Dr. Joshua Schiffer, a senior fellow at the University of Washington in Seattle.

"We've known for many years that herpes maintains a latent state in the nerves around the spinal cord. In effect, it hibernates there," Schiffer said. "The older idea was that it didn't do much while it was there ... But what our model suggests is the virus is continually being released from the neurons."

The study appears in the Nov. 18 issue of Science Translational Medicine.

The study looked at herpes simplex 2 virus, not herpes simplex 1 virus, which causes cold sores or fever blisters, though it can also cause genital lesions. Schiffer said he suspected the findings would hold true for herpes simplex 1 as well, though previous studies suggest herpes simplex 1 may shed less often.

Schiffer and his colleagues used data from two previous studies. In the first, participants swabbed their genitals every day during an outbreak and until their lesions went away. In the second, patients swabbed their genitals four times a day for 60 days, even when they were asymptomatic.

The data was then put into a mathematical model to determine the probable rate of shedding. According to the study, 85% of shedding episodes were asymptomatic, or did not cause a lesion. About 60% lasted less than 12 hours.

About 45 million Americans, or one in five over the age of 12, are infected with the genital herpes virus in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But many of them aren't aware they are infected because they've never had, or have never been aware of, their lesions. "Within their skin there is this constant battle going on within the virus and the immune system," Schiffer explained.

Typically, patients are counseled to avoid having sex during an outbreak and to use a condom to prevent transmission when they are not having symptoms.

Antiviral drugs available, including acyclovir, valacyclovir and famciclovir, can control many, but not all, outbreaks, Schiffer said.

Nancy Sawtell, a researcher in the division of infectious diseases at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said the study opens up new avenues for research. But it's too soon to suggest that low levels of viral DNA necessarily mean a person can still infect another.

She noted that the researchers tested for viral DNA, which is only a portion of the virus and doesn't in and of itself mean a person is infectious. "The presence of viral DNA does mean you are infected, but it doesn't necessarily mean you have an infectious particle there," Sawtell said.

Secondly, because the neurons themselves were not examined, it's possible the viral DNA that's present could have originated from somewhere else in the body. Previous animal studies have shown herpes does indeed go into an inactive state.

"It would be really nice to be able to look at the neurons in this human model to determine that the virus is coming from the spine, and wasn't just present in the genitalia and missed by an earlier swab," Sawtell said.

Couples trying to avoid infecting one partner should continue to take the same precautions they did prior to the study, including using condoms even when asymptomatic.

"I wouldn't panic over it," Sawtell said. "We have a lot to learn about how infectious these low levels of viral DNA actually are."

Copyright © 2009 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Joshua Schiffer, M.D., research associate, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and senior fellow, University of Washington, Seattle; Nancy Sawtell, Ph.D., researcher, division of infectious diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Nov. 18, 2009, Science Translational Medicine

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Herpes viruses associated with cognitive impairment

The herpes virus that produces cold sores during times of stress now has been linked to cognitive impairment throughout life, according to a new University of Michigan study that for the first time shows an impact on children ages 12-16.

Researchers at the U-M School of Public Health study examined the association between two latent herpes viruses—Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 and cytomegalovirus (CMV)—and cognitive impairment among individuals across three age groups: 6-16, 20-59, and 60 and older. The researchers used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

HSV-1 is the oral herpes virus. Previous research has linked it with neurological disorders associated with aging, including Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, but few studies have examined whether these pathogens may influence cognition beginning early in life.

“This study is a first step in establishing an association between these viruses and cognition across a range of ages in the U.S. population,” said Allison Aiello, associate professor of epidemiology at the U-M School of Public Health.

The research, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, demonstrates that HSV-1 is associated with lower reading and spatial reasoning test scores among children ages 12-16; impaired coding speed, which is a measure of visual motor speed and attention, among middle-aged adults; and immediate memory impairment in older adults. CMV also was associated with impairment in coding speed, learning and recall in middle-aged adults.

More than one third of the U.S. population is positive for these viruses by early childhood. Some individuals may not be symptomatic.

“If HSV-1 begins to have impact on cognitive function early in life, HSV-1 infection in childhood may have important consequences for educational attainment and social mobility across the lifespan,” said Amanda Simanek, formerly an assistant research scientist in the U-M Department of Epidemiology and now an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

“Once acquired, herpes viruses are never cleared from the body and instead persist in a latent state. Such pathogens are, however, subject to reactivation and capable of invading the central nervous system, where they may exert direct damage to brain.”

Simanek said reactivation of herpes viruses triggers the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which have been linked to cognitive impairment. Cytokines are hormones involved in cell signaling and regulation; pro-inflammatory cytokines play an important role in the immunological response to infection and tissue injury. Excessive inflammation, however, has been linked to various chronic disease outcomes.

To date, much of the public health focus surrounding herpes viruses has been on treating symptoms and some on prevention.

“If future research continues to support this work and identifies a definitive mechanistic pathway, there are several implications for public health preventive measures,” Aiello said. “For example, antivirals targeted against these infections may be recommended as well as continued efforts in developing vaccines to target HSV-1 and CMV.

“These viruses are very ubiquitous and reactivate in response to exposure to stressors. If they are truly detrimental to cognitive function, individuals may want to consider reducing stress to avoid reactivation and possible damage associated with these infections, especially if they are known to be positive for HSV-1 as indicated by the presence of cold sores during times of stress.”

The researchers say further studies are warranted to examine the biological pathways by which these herpes viruses may affect cognitive impairment over time.

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Get Rid of Herpes Reviews - Clear Herpes Virus from the Body for a Lifetime

Oakland Gardens, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/12/2013 -- Having the dreadful problem of herpes can be painful, annoying, depressing, and very stressful. Herpes victims are not only subjected to social exclusion but their sexual life is greatly affected as well. Herpes has been the most common sexually transmitted diseases. It can be transmitted very easily through sexual intercourse. People might not even notice the eruption of herpes in their partner until it’s too late. Sarah Wilcox’s eBook - Get Rid of Herpes – is specifically designed to eliminate the root cause of herpes by utilization of efficient methods and techniques to help sufferers of herpes to live a herpes free and healthy lifestyle. Not only this, this eBook reveals methods to heal the blisters and stop further outbreaks of herpes. All in all, Get Rid of Herpes is worth a try as it guarantees victims a herpes free life.

Sarah Wilcox was a former victim of herpes. She has been suffering from herpes throughout the better days of her life but only until recently, she was fortunate to find out this effective herpes treatment. With the help of this remedy, Wilcox had to no longer go through the different courses of anti-viral medications and was blessed to live a herpes free and healthy life once again. A great number of people all around the world suffer from this awful disease and doctors just treat this as a form of an allergy and carry the misconception that it can only be treated temporarily until the anti-viral medication course is in effect. The truth is, these drugs do not help at all and their overdose can lead to very severe consequences multiplying the misery.

The Get Rid of Herpes Program is one of the most comprehensive natural remedies for herpes that a person can get out there. Moreover, there are no lengthy explanations and complicated terms. All the information is packed into a 46-page eBook guide. It gives a detailed description of Herpes so that it will be easier for customers to understand how the remedy will kill viral pathogens associated with this disease. This eBook explains and analyzes how the science based and proven herpes cure method works efficiently to eradicate the Herpes Simplex Virus. The herpes relief remedy is described in an easy and thorough manner. There is absolutely no difficulty in carrying out the protocol illustrated in Get Rid of Herpes. In addition to this, there is a lot more interesting and helpful information regarding herpes and its remedy. This remedy is not the only solution described in the eBook, a very helpful diet program is also mentioned as a cure in one of the chapters named Herpes Diet Simplex. Sarah Wilcox wants to help the sufferers of Herpes Simplex Virus as she already had been through the worst herpes could do to its victims. Along with her, there are thousands of satisfied customers out there who have used the same method of herpes cure to get rid of it permanently.

Click Here For Get Rid Of Herpes Instant Access

Get Rid of Herpes is designed as a digital publication which demonstrates the herpes treatment protocol in a step-wise manner. Here is a food for thought, if people really want this remedy to work against Herpes Simplex Virus, they should not feel reluctant to carry out the step-by-step herpes treatment protocol and must remain persistent to attain genuine and permanent results of ending rashes and blisters which can be seen within days. However, tackling the virus and terminating future outbreak can take at least a month.

Who does not want a life free of Herpes? No matter how dubious this remedy may look, the fact still remains that this is the only solution discovered till now by Sarah Wilcox to the devastating problem of herpes affecting not only her but millions of people around the world. Sarah Wilcox gave it a try and it successfully worked for her. Through Get Rid of Herpes, Sarah Wilcox has guided the readers about the simple method of herpes cure she carried out on herself. Not only simple, another advantage of this remedy is that it is totally home based regardless of how serious is the stage of the Herpes Simplex Virus. This treatment does not require the use of any drugs, supplements, and herbal herpes formulations. Sarah Wilcox has affirmed a permanent relief from all kinds of herpes through this trouble-free and workable remedy.

About getridofherpes.net

This eBook gives a detailed description of Herpes so that it will be easier for customers to understand how the remedy will kill viral pathogens associated with this disease. It explains and analyzes how the science based and proven herpes cure method works efficiently to eradicate the Herpes Simplex Virus. The herpes relief remedy is described in an easy and thorough manner. There is absolutely no difficulty in carrying out the protocol illustrated in Get Rid of Herpes. In addition to this, there is a lot more interesting and helpful information regarding herpes and its remedy. This remedy is not the only solution described in the eBook, a very helpful diet program is also mentioned as a cure in one of the chapters named Herpes Diet Simplex. Sarah Wilcox wants to help the sufferers of Herpes Simplex Virus as she already had been through the worst herpes could do to its victims. Along with her, there are thousands of satisfied customers out there who have used the same method of herpes cure to get rid of it permanently.

Click Here to Download the Get Rid of Herpes Ebook

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Cancer Is My Herpes: Living With Recurrent Disease

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About a year ago, I learned about some "worrisome" spots that had shown up on my quarterly CT scan. This was about six months after my last of 24 chemotherapy infusions, and to say I was bummed upon hearing the news would be an understatement. But I slowly wrapped my brain around the notion of a "third option" relating to cancer, the third option being something between permanent remission from cancer... and death.

Now the thought of just "learning to live with" cancer was unappealing then and is unappealing now. Of course, I (and anyone else without a death wish) would prefer to live a long life, free of illness and disease, without the scepter of cancer hanging over my head. But as a couple of wise blokes named Mick Jagger and Keith Richards once wrote, you can't always get what you want.

Over the course of the past year, I and my oncology team have watched and monitored those worrisome nodules, hoping they'd either go away or at least remain unchanged. The nodes were too small and scattered to biopsy; but since cancer rarely remains completely stagnant, the thought was that if they didn't grow, they likely weren't cancer. Unfortunately, they grew. Not at an alarming rate, but slowly and steadily they grew. And just as slowly and steadily, my CA125 (cancer marker) levels crept upward.

My family and I watched and waited, hoping for the best but fearing the worst, until a couple of weeks ago, my oncologist called me in for the hard conversation.

"Given the growth of these nodules over the past several months, and the increase in your CA125 levels, we do believe your cancer has returned."

As difficult as this was to hear, I have to say I wasn't surprised. I had never rested easily with the knowledge of those mysterious nodules inside me, not even for a day. In my heart of hearts, I think I always knew they were dangerous. I'd hoped with every fiber of my being I was wrong, but my gut told me my fears were well placed.

I did, however, question the use of the terminology about my cancer having "returned." Because even though I was told at the end of treatment more than 18 months ago that my scans and blood work showed "no evidence of disease", we've essentially been watching these spots for more than a year. So my cancer hasn't actually returned. The truth is, my cancer likely never left. When I pressed my oncologist about this, she acknowledged that I was correct. The nodes on my CT scan were now simply large enough to see. However, they'd likely been there all along.

Cancer.org published a helpful informational paper about recurrent cancer, describing how sometimes small clusters of cancer cells that could not be seen or found on scans or other tests, grow large enough over time to be detected or cause symptoms. While I'm not yet experiencing symptoms as a result of the nodules in my pelvic region -- they're still too small -- they are definitely now detectible and need to be addressed.

Right now the plan is for me to resume chemotherapy after the first of the year. And this time I'll likely be on some form of chemo drug for the rest of my life or until there's a cure. The thought of this both exhausts and terrifies me. I don't want to die. My daughter just turned two. I want to be around to see her grow up. I want to grow old with my husband. I'm not ready to go anytime soon... not by a long shot. So I'm scared and even a little angry.

Aside from processing these feelings, exploring treatment options and second opinions, and learning to cope with the stress and anxiety that came with this news, I'm also learning to reframe my thinking about cancer as a recurrent disease. I can no longer look myself in the eye and tell myself with 100 percent certainty that "this time" I'm going to beat cancer for good. In actuality, the cancer will likely continue to crop up, just hopefully with longer periods of time with no detectible activity between "episodes."

While I strongly dislike the thought of this, I also have to acknowledge that many people live long lives with recurrent, incurable disease. Those with rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, COPD, severe asthma and even HIV, all learn to manage their symptoms with medication, diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes and therapies, and deal with flare-ups as necessary when they occur.

I remember when an HIV/AIDS diagnosis was considered a death sentence. And it was. I lost several friends to the disease in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before the advent of the "AIDS cocktail" of antiretroviral therapy. Today HIV/AIDS is manageable, and considered a chronic illness rather than a fatal one. Turns out, many cancers fall into the same category.

I have to wrap my mind around the fact that, unless a cure is discovered in my lifetime, cancer is going to be part of my life for the rest of my life. Cancer is my herpes. Or my diabetes or RA or COPD. It's in me and I am going to have to accept it and learn to manage and dominate it. I want to live a long life, so in my mind, I have no other choice.

Image via Brooke Kelly Photography

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Agenus genital herpes vaccine succeeds in mid-stage trial

n">(Reuters) - Agenus Inc said a trial of its experimental genital herpes vaccine reduced the rate at which patients released the virus, reducing the likelihood of infecting others, sending its shares up 32 percent in premarket trading.

The 15 percent reduction in the release of the virus by patients receiving the vaccine in a mid-stage trial compared to those on a placebo, who showed no reduction.

The vaccine, HerpV, also reduced the severity of the infection by 34 percent.

The mid-stage trial had 80 patients with a history of 1-9 herpes recurrences within the prior 12 months. Of them, 70 received the vaccine and 10 received placebo, Agenus said in a statement.

HerpV, being developed as an "off-the-shelf" vaccine, contains Agenus's QS-21 Stimulon adjuvant that boosts specific immune responses.

The trial tested the efficacy of the vaccine by measuring the release of the virus by patients 45 days before and after three injections of HerpV. A majority of the patients also received a booster injection, given 6 months after the first vaccination.

Genital herpes, a highly contagious sexually transmitted infection, is usually caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two types of HSV and Agenus's vaccine targets HSV type 2, which most often causes genital herpes.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 776,000 people in the United States get new herpes infections annually and one out of six people aged 14 to 49 years has genital HSV-2 infection.

Agenus said it expected more data in the first half of 2014, showing how the patients fared after the booster shots.

The company's partners are also testing the QS-21 Stimulon adjuvant in combination with other vaccines.

Agenus shares were up at $3.16 in trading before the bell. The stock closed at $2.40 on Wednesday on the Nasdaq.

(Reporting by Esha Dey in Bangalore; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Kirti Pandey)

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Herpes Simplex

Studies show that genital herpes simplex virus is common. In the United States, one out of five of the total adolescent and adult population are infected with herpes simplex virus.

There are two types of herpes simplex viruses (HSV). HSV type 2 is the one that most commonly causes genital herpes. You can get HSV type 2 during sexual contact with someone who has a genital HSV-2 infection. The infection causes painful sores on the genitals in both men and women. HSV type 1 is the herpes virus that is usually responsible for cold sores of the mouth, the so-called "fever blisters." You get HSV-1 by coming into contact with the saliva of an infected person.

However, HSV type 1 can cause genital herpes, usually caused by oral-genital sexual contact with a person who has the oral HSV-1 infection, and HSV type 2 can cause cold sores.

Herpes can be treated but not cured. Symptoms appear briefly and then disappear; the disease lies dormant in nerve cells, but it may be reactivated by stress or illness. It is believed to be more contagious during active periods when blisters are present, however, it can be transmitted person-to-person without active lesions.

Persons taking drugs that suppress the body's immune system (for example, cancer or organ transplant patients) are at a higher risk of contracting herpes because their bodies are in a weakened state. There is also some evidence that links genital herpes with a higher rate of cancer of the cervix in women.

There are some serious complications of herpes simplex:

Eye infections - the herpes virus may infect the eye and lead to a condition called herpes keratitis. The inflammation results in the feeling that there is something in the eye, pain, sensitivity to light and discharge. Drugs are available that prevent severe scarring of the cornea and in eliminating infection.

Infections in babies - a pregnant woman who has genital herpes at the time of delivery can transmit the virus to her baby as it passes through the birth canal and touches the affected area. The baby can die or suffer severe damage, particularly mental retardation. Women who know that they have had genital herpes or think they might have it during pregnancy should tell their physician so preventive measures can be taken.

A Cesarian section is indicated for some patients. It is estimated that only half of all infants delivered through an infected vagina acquire the disease, but the ones that do are at risk for having a severe infection.

The newborn also is infected by exposure to the virus from non-genital lesions. If the mother or a person working in the nursery has active blisters on the lips or hands, the baby can become infected. Family members and friends with active herpes simplex virus should not handle a newborn.

Note: Pregnant women should avoid sexual contact with a partner with active genital herpes, especially in the later stages of pregnancy. The use of condoms can be suggested for those who will not abstain. There is no evidence to suggest that infection of an infant with herpes simplex virus (HSV type I) carries a different risk than infection with genital herpes HSV type II).

Herpes symptoms can vary. Many infected individuals have few, if any, noticeable symptoms. In people who do have symptoms, the symptoms start 2 to 20 days after the person was exposed to someone with HSV infection. Symptoms may last for several weeks.

The first episode of herpes is usually worse than outbreaks that come later. The predominant symptom of herpes is the outbreak of painful, itching blisters filled with fluid on and around the external sexual organs or, for oral herpes, on or very near the lip. Females may have a vaginal discharge. Symptoms vaguely similar to those of flu may accompany these outbreaks, including fever, headache, muscle aches and fatigue. There may be painful urination, and swollen and tender lymph glands in the groin.

Usually the blisters will disappear without treatment in two to 10 days, but the virus will remain in the body, lying dormant among clusters of nerve cells until another outbreak is triggered. Factors that can trigger an outbreak include stress, illness such as a cold, fever, fatigue, sunburn, menstruation or sexual intercourse.

Many patients are able to anticipate an outbreak when they notice a warning sign (a tingling sensation, called a prodrome) of the approaching illness. It is when they feel signs that an outbreak is about to start that they are particularly contagious, even though the skin still appears normal

Most people with genital herpes have five to eight outbreaks per year, but not everyone has recurrent symptoms. As time goes on, the number of outbreaks usually decreases. Oral herpes can recur as often as monthly or only one or two times each year.

Sores typically come back near the site of the first infection. Usually, as the outbreaks recur, there are fewer sores and they heal faster and are less painful.

Unlike other sexually transmitted diseases, herpes cannot be cured because medication that will attack the virus while it lies dormant in the nerve cells will also damage the nerve cells. However, there is treatment available for acute outbreaks that involves the use of anti-viral drugs such as Acyclovir, Valaclovir or Famcyclovir.

Acyclovir has been found to reduce the reproduction of the virus in initial outbreaks, thus possibly lessening the number of subsequent outbreaks. To be effective, therapy must be started immediately after the first sores appear. Every sexual partner of the infected person needs to be examined, and if necessary, treated.

Famcyclovir has similar effects and may work to prevent a herpes infection from establishing itself if taken soon enough in the course of the illness. Valaclovir has similar effects.

Long-term drug therapy ('suppressive treatment') may be helpful for individuals who suffer frequent recurrent outbreaks. Suppressive treatment will reduce outbreaks by 85 percent and reduces viral shedding by more than 90 percent.

Topical antibiotic ointments also may be applied to prevent secondary bacterial infections.

During an outbreak of genital herpes, a number of measures can be taken to make the patient more comfortable:

Wear loose clothingAvoid excessive heat or sunlightKeep the sore area clean and dryPlace cool or lukewarm cloths on the sore area for short periods of timeDo not use perfumed soaps, sprays, feminine deodorants, or douchesTake aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen for the painAvoid touching soresWash hands if you do touch the sores

What type of treatment will you recommend to decrease the symptoms or the length of the active period?

Will you be prescribing any medication? What are the side effects?

Can laser therapy be used?

How is laser therapy performed?

How effective is this therapy?

Because the chances of contracting this disease increase with the number of sexual partners a person has, limiting the number of partners is the first step toward prevention.

To keep herpes from spreading, intimate contact should be avoided when sores are on the body. Itching, burning or tingling may occur just before the sores develop. Sexual intercourse should be avoided during this time.

Herpes can even be spread when there are no sores or symptoms. To minimize the risk of spreading herpes, latex condoms should be used during all sexual contact. Spermicidal foams and jellies may offer added protection although the evidence on this is controversial.

The herpes virus can also be spread by touching the sores and then touching another part of the body. If you touch the sores, wash your hands with soap and water as soon as possible. Also, do not share towels or clothing with anyone.

Babies can be infected with the herpes virus. If pregnant, you should tell your doctor if you have ever been exposed to anyone with herpes, even if you have never had any symptoms. Your doctor can take special precautions at the time of delivery to protect the baby from getting infected with herpes.

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HerpV: Genital Herpes Vaccine Shows Promise

Nov 7 (Reuters) - Agenus Inc said a trial of its experimental genital herpes vaccine reduced the rate at which patients released the virus, reducing the likelihood of infecting others, sending its shares up 32 percent in premarket trading.

The 15 percent reduction in the release of the virus by patients receiving the vaccine in a mid-stage trial compared to those on a placebo, who showed no reduction.

The vaccine, HerpV, also reduced the severity of the infection by 34 percent.

The mid-stage trial had 80 patients with a history of 1-9 herpes recurrences within the prior 12 months. Of them, 70 received the vaccine and 10 received placebo, Agenus said in a statement.

HerpV, being developed as an "off-the-shelf" vaccine, contains Agenus's QS-21 Stimulon adjuvant that boosts specific immune responses.

The trial tested the efficacy of the vaccine by measuring the release of the virus by patients 45 days before and after three injections of HerpV. A majority of the patients also received a booster injection, given 6 months after the first vaccination.

Genital herpes, a highly contagious sexually transmitted infection, is usually caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two types of HSV and Agenus's vaccine targets HSV type 2, which most often causes genital herpes.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 776,000 people in the United States get new herpes infections annually and one out of six people aged 14 to 49 years has genital HSV-2 infection.

Agenus said it expected more data in the first half of 2014, showing how the patients fared after the booster shots.

The company's partners are also testing the QS-21 Stimulon adjuvant in combination with other vaccines.

Agenus shares were up at $3.16 in trading before the bell. The stock closed at $2.40 on Wednesday on the Nasdaq. (Reporting by Esha Dey in Bangalore; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Kirti Pandey)

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When will we see a herpes cure?

As a feature of CNNhealth.com, our team of expert doctors will answer readers' questions. Here's a question for Dr. Gupta.

From Lloyd Bartley, Bowling Green, Kentucky

“How close are scientists to developing a cure for herpes, figuratively speaking will we be seeing a break through in 10, 20, or even 30 years?”

Answer:

Well, Lloyd, there is good news and bad news on the herpes front. The good news: Researchers have made serious strides and now better understand the mechanism behind herpes outbreaks. The bad news: There is very little funding for that research.

After receiving your question we reached out to a leading herpes expert, Bryan Cullen, the director at the Center for Virology at Duke University. Cullen is hopeful that a cure for herpes could come within 10 years, once funding hurdles are crossed.

Nearly one in five people over age 12 in the U.S. is affected by herpes. It is caused by a virus - either the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) or the herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). Both strains can cause genital herpes, but HSV-1 usually infects the mouth and produces cold sores.

Despite funding challenges, Cullen and his team are inching closer to a cure. They conducted a study recently that identified the pathway herpes takes as it infects. They now know how herpes embeds itself into the cells and how it eludes treatment. Now that they have honed in on the physiology of the disease - and its triggers - researchers believe they are steps closer to creating drugs that could cure herpes.

While we wait for a cure, there are drugs out there that can at least suppress herpes. Three antiviral drugs: acyclovir, valacyclovir, and famciclovir are commonly recommended to quell outbreaks. A physician might recommend taking these drugs when an outbreak occurs to quiet symptoms; or taking them continuously to reduce the likelihood of an outbreak.

And of course the best way to avoid spreading herpes is to abstain from sex, but if you are sexually active, engage in safe-sex practices such as using condoms.

Editor's Note: Medical news is a popular but sensitive subject rooted in science. We receive many comments on this blog each day; not all are posted. Our hope is that much will be learned from the sharing of useful information and personal experiences based on the medical and health topics of the blog. We encourage you to focus your comments on those medical and health topics and we appreciate your input. Thank you for your participation.

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