ABSTRACT
Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) is one of the most thoroughly investigated human viruses, but the number of unanswered questions regarding its pathogenesis and natural course of infection tend to increase with understanding. This chapter reviews some aspects of the pathogenesis of HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections, with emphasis on data derived from humans as hosts and from their viral isolates. An important limitation in the field of HSV pathogenesis is the difficulty in studying asymptomatic infection, which therefore remains enigmatic. As transmission seems to occur commonly during asymptomatic phases, clinical manifestations including mucocutaneous lesions may be regarded as extrapolations of events occurring during a silent, natural infection. In fact, disease events may be unnecessary for the further existence of HSV in the human population, yet they still exist. However, the complications encountered during HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections, thoroughly reviewed in this volume, strongly indicate a need for further defining determinants of pathogenicity, such as viral virulence factors and host susceptibility traits, to improve treatment and prophylaxis.
