Herpes is a widespread virus that has been difficult to cure due to its nature. It can hide in a person's nerve cells for long periods of time before reactivating the infection, making it similar to the common cold. As a result, people infected with the herpes virus are infected for life and must manage outbreaks when they occur. Developing a vaccine has been a challenging task due to the virus's complexity and elusiveness.
There is no cure for genital herpes, but antiviral medications can be used to prevent or shorten outbreaks and reduce the chance of infecting others. Although there is no cure, there are steps that can be taken to prevent future outbreaks and treat lesions when they appear. Clinical trials of herpes vaccines have been difficult due to asymptomatic infection and the unpredictable spread of the virus. Ashley Thomas, an infectious disease specialist at Orlando Health in Florida, explains that the herpes virus has evolved along with humans over the centuries.
Oral herpes, also known as cold sores, can be treated with OTC products or phototherapy. Valacyclovir, or Valtrex, is an FDA-approved medication that stops the herpes virus from growing and spreading during an outbreak. Unfortunately, researchers cannot target a vaccine to the immune system. At least three pharmaceutical companies have overseen clinical trials of candidate herpes vaccines, but none have been successful so far.
As long as there is only a tiny amount of infection left after an outbreak subsides, herpes can easily survive and reappear in future outbreaks. In conclusion, it is difficult to create a cure for herpes due to its nature and complexity. People infected with the virus are infected for life and must manage outbreaks when they occur. Antiviral medications can be used to prevent or shorten outbreaks and reduce the chance of infecting others.
Although there have been clinical trials of candidate vaccines, none have been successful so far.
