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Updated: Oct 25, 2025
11:56
Ex Vivo Infection of Murine Epidermis with Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1
Published on: August 24, 2015
11.3K
A holistic perspective on herpes simplex virus (HSV) ecology and evolution.
Molly M Rathbun1, Moriah L Szpara1
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Biology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, and Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States.
Advances in Virus Research
|August 6, 2021
Summary
Herpes simplex viruses (HSV) cause lifelong infections. This review explores how HSV-1 genetic diversity evolves within hosts and its ecological context, offering insights into chronic pathogen adaptation.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Human Microbiome
Background:
- Herpes simplex viruses (HSV) establish chronic infections with lifelong reactivation from neuronal ganglia.
- HSV causes millions of infections globally, with varying disease severity and reactivation frequency.
- HSV-1, historically oral, now leads in genital herpes cases, exhibiting high genetic diversity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the rate of HSV-1 genetic adaptation within human hosts.
- To determine if population bottlenecks occur during HSV reactivation or transmission.
- To understand how ecological factors influence HSV evolution and co-infections.
Main Methods:
- This review synthesizes existing research on HSV genetic diversity and evolution.
- It examines the ecological context of natural human HSV infections.
- It explores viral adaptation within and between human hosts.
Main Results:
- HSV accrues genetic diversity within infections while maintaining broad human infectivity.
- The ecological environment influences HSV evolutionary trajectory and co-occurring microbes.
- Lifelong human-virus interactions reveal complex adaptive strategies.
Conclusions:
- Understanding HSV's ecological context enhances awareness of its adaptation within hosts.
- Insights into HSV evolution may inform strategies for other chronic pathogens.
- Further exploration of human-virus interactions is crucial for understanding persistent infections.
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