In a report published in New York Post on July 31, 2017, an awestruck mother, Samantha Rogers surprisingly discovered that her 1-year-old son, Juliano, who she wrongly thought had been down with the flu suddenly tested positive for herpes simplex type 1 virus (HSV-1). Herpes, a viral disease, is currently having no cure; it is a lifelong disease that can threaten the future sex life of kids who have it. By law, they are required to pre-inform their intended sex partners that they have it. Failure to do so might make them liable to criminal prosecutions.

  Herpes simplex type 1 virus (HSV-1)

Unlike Genital herpes (HSV-2), which is mainly contracted through sexual intercourse, Oral herpes (HSV-1) can be spread through skin-to-skin contact with an adult who carries the virus. The adult does not necessarily need to have obvious sores or symptoms before they can spread the disease. Anyone with HSV-1 can pass it to another person by:

• Skin-to-skin contact, such as pinching the child’s skin or caressing it.
• Sharing objects like lip balm, razor, or silverware with the virus on it.

Symptoms of Herpes simplex (HSV-1)

Some of the signs or symptoms you can notice on someone with herpes simplex (HSV-1) are as follows:

• Sores: These are painful, fluid-filled blisters that could be seen on body parts such as mouths, cheeks, chins, and other areas. When such sores open, they can let loose some viruses that can lead to infection.
• Itching, burning, or tingling: This symptom occurs right before the blisters showed up.
• Flu-like symptoms
• Eye infection (herpes keratitis): Herpes sometimes spread to one or both eyes and cause pain, poor vision, and produce some discharge or scars.
• Having a difficult time urinating: This occurs mainly to women, and they may have a difficult time urinating or feeling a burning sensation in their genitals while urinating.

Diagnosing herpes simplex (HSV-1)

When there is an outbreak, a dermatologist may diagnose herpes simplex by inspecting the sores. A confirmation test may be carried out by taking a swab from the sores and sending it to a laboratory for further microbiological test.

Treating herpes simplex (HSV-1)

At the moment, there is no cure for herpes simplex, but often the sores can disappear without any treatment. However, most people are considered for antiviral treatments to relieve them of the symptoms or reduce the length of an outbreak.

Most people who have herpes simplex may not feel any discomfort or show any known symptoms for a long period of time.

How to protect your child from contracting herpes simplex (HSV-1)

• Monitor who is touching, pinching, or kissing your child.
• If anyone has revealed the symptoms of HSV-1 highlighted in this article, make sure he/she doesn’t get too close to your child.