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Review
. 2023 Jan 13;15(1):225.
doi: 10.3390/v15010225.

A Comprehensive Overview of Epidemiology, Pathogenesis and the Management of Herpes Labialis

Divya Gopinath  1   2 , Kim Hoe Koe  3 , Mari Kannan Maharajan  4 , Swagatika Panda  5
Affiliations
Review

A Comprehensive Overview of Epidemiology, Pathogenesis and the Management of Herpes Labialis

Divya Gopinath et al. Viruses. .

Abstract

Herpes labialis remains exceedingly prevalent and is one of the most common human viral infections throughout the world. Recurrent herpes labialis evolves from the initial viral infection by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) which subsequently presents with or without symptoms. Reactivation of this virus is triggered by psychosocial factors such as stress, febrile environment, ultraviolet light susceptibility, or specific dietary inadequacy. This virus infection is also characterized by uninterrupted transitions between chronic-latent and acute-recurrent phases, allowing the virus to opportunistically avoid immunity and warrant the transmission to other vulnerable hosts simultaneously. This review comprehensively evaluates the current evidence on epidemiology, pathogenesis, transmission modes, clinical manifestations, and current management options of herpes labialis infections.

Keywords: antiviral agents; herpes labialis; management; prevention; treatments.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.