There’s a high probability that people who are prone to herpes simplex virus (HSV) outbreaks can inherit that susceptibility through their genes, University of Utah researchers report in a new study.

A recent study of men co-infected with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and HIV revealed that drugs used to suppress HSV decrease the levels of HIV in the blood and rectal secretions, which may make patients less likely to transmit the virus. This study is published in the November 15 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases, now available online.

If you get cold sores, that tingling feeling on your lip that signals the start of an outbreak is something you probably dread. But now there is something else to be concerned about.

The number of people with the common cold core, usually present on and around the lips, tends to increase as temperatures drop outside. Indeed, oral herpes is quite common. There is no air of mystery about it. However, an average patient does not seem to be very knowledgeable about the disease.

By adulthood, most people have suffered at least one bout of painful cold sores brought on by the Herpes simplex virus 1, also known as HSV-1. After the initial infection, the virus usually remains in the body, hiding out in nearby nerve cells where the victim's immune defenses cannot reach it, causing no symptoms at all.