Herpesviridae
Herpesviridae is a large family of DNA viruses that cause diseases in animals, including humans. The members of this family are also known as
herpesviruses. The family name is derived from the Greek word
herpein, referring to the latent, recurring infections typical of this group of viruses.
Herpesviridae can cause latent or lytic infections. At least five species of Herpesviridae – HSV-1 and HSV-2, Varicella zoster virus, Epstein-Barr virus, and Cytomegalovirus – are extremely widespread among humans. More than 90% of adults have been infected with at least one of these, and a latent form of the virus remains in most people. In total, there are 8 herpesvirus types that infect humans: herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2, varicella-zoster virus, EBV, human cytomegalovirus, human herpesvirus 6, human herpesvirus 7, and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. There are more than 130 herpesviruses, and some are from mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and molluscs.