The alpha-herpesviridae in dermatology: Herpes simplex virus types I and II

The alpha-herpesviridae group includes the herpes simplex virus types I and II (HSV-I, HSV-II) as well as the varicella zoster virus (VZV).They share a series of similar molecular and biological properties, such as their viral replicationmechanisms and neuro- and epidermotropism, as well as latency in the dorsal root ganglia cell bodies. HSV-I and HSV-II are classically responsible for primary and recurrent orolabial and genital herpes, respectively, and VZV viruses for chickenpox
and herpes zoster (HZ). These viral infections are ubiquitous and present daily management issues
for dermatologists. During the past decades, there has been a clear shift in epidemiology, with an increasing number of HSV-I primary genital infections, probably caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) safe sex recommendations advocating that oral sex is less risky in terms of HIV acquisition. Furthermore, varicella presents a shift from young children towards elder
children, adolescents, and young adults. Thefirst part of this overview presents an update of new, rare, and atypical clinical manifestations of HSV-I and HSV-II mucocutaneous infections, evidence-
and experience-based médicine (EBM) recommendations for treatment interventions for orolabial and genital herpes, as well as recent developments in vaccination efforts against HSV.