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Aren't there much more malicious or widespread forms of the herpes virus than HSV-2 that could desperately use a vaccine? I'm thinking of Epstein-Barr or even
by nkozyra 13y ago
Aren't there much more malicious or widespread forms of the herpes virus than HSV-2 that could desperately use a vaccine? I'm thinking of Epstein-Barr or even HSV-1.
I'm sure most people would love to eradicate genital herpes, but it's probably among the least pressing and/or widespread health concerns in the viral family.
- refurb 13y agoNot sure why you're getting downvoted so much, i agree about the Epistein Barr virus, not so mich about HSV-1.
- domdip 13y agoSome pretty horrific things happen if a baby is exposed to HSV during childbirth. And recent research into asymptomatic viral shedding indicates that simply checking for lesions at the time (and conducting a C-section if they're visible) is woefully inadequate.
- Fomite 13y agoHSV-1 is far more widespread, but I would struggle to call it "more malicious". It is a rare source of blindness, but for the most part is a fairly benign infection most people don't know they have. HSV-2 on the other hand, has some serious consequences for congenital infections, and may result in easier acquisition of HIV. Beyond that, research in HSV-2 should extend to HSV-1 fairly directly. If I had to pick one, I'd go with HSV-2.