HERPESVIRUSES

The family of herpesviruses is very large, and its members infect most animal species.
There are 7 herpesviruses which are known to infect humans:


DISEASE
It is a characteristic of all herpesviruses that, following primary infection, the virus establishes a latent infection in the host and may reactivate at any stage. Reactivation is frequently, but not always, associated with further disease.

Structure of the virion

All herpesviruses are morphologically identical.

They have a large double stranded DNA genome. The VIRION consists of an icosahedral nucleocapsid of about 100 nm in diameter, which is surrounded by a lipid bilayer envelope. Between the capsid and the envelope is an amorphous layer of proteins, termed the tegument.

Click here to view electron microscope images of the virus.

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