Oral Herpes

Herpes is the medical name for a group of similar viruses. This group includes the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chicken pox as well as shingles; the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes infectious mononucleosis (mono); cytomegalovirus (CMV), which is responsible for infections that usually afflict newborns and people with defective immune systems; and the herpes simplex virus (HSV), which causes genital and oral infections.

To most people, however, herpes is the common term for infections caused by HSV.

Description of Oral Herpes 

There are two types of HSV, HSV-1 and HSV-2. In most cases, HSV-1 causes ulcerative lesions of the oral mucosa/lips that are commonly referred to as cold sores or fever blisters. HSV-2, on the other hand, generally causes genital herpes. However, some genital herpes may be caused by HSV-1 virus, and some oral herpes may be caused by HSV-2. This cross infection can happen when sexual partners have oral-genital relations...