The history of herpes
Herpes dates back to 2500BC
October 5, 2005 – Herpes is not a manifestation of the sexual revolution of the sixties and seventies. The herpes virus, HSV, is documented to have been with us since at least 2500 BC. While available treatment and research has accelerated in the past 25 years, the fact is HSV has been with us for 25 centuries.
The first knowledge of herpes can be traced to the ancient Greeks, who coined the phrase ‘herpes’. Hippocrates used this term to describe lesions that appeared to creep or crawl along the skin. Descriptions of HSV have been found on a Sumerian Tablet (dated 3rd Millennium BC) and on the Ebers Papyrus (circa 1500 BC). Over the centuries, though, “herpes” was used to describe a variety of skin ailments from what we know today as lupus to a variety of viral, fungal or parasitic infections, some of which are no longer around.
The first link between herpes and the genital organs was published by John Astruc, physician for King Louis XIV of France, in 1736 when French prostitutes were under medical surveillance. A century later, it was described by dermatologist Dr PG Unna in 1883 as “one of the most benign of affectations both to the patient and her public.” The first book dedicated to herpes was written less than a decade later and in 1896 French dermatologist Dr Alfred Fournier wrote about diagnosing and treating genital herpes. His advice? “The same as for the treatment of arthritis. Forbid alcohol, tobacco and sexual excesses.”
It wasn’t until the early 20th century it was proven HSV was infectious from one person to another and it was only in 1970 genital herpes was recognised as a sexually transmitted infection with unintended side effects that affected a person’s well being. The public was only made aware of how serious a problem genital herpes was when well known publications like Time in the US wrote a cover story about it in 1982. Anti viral drug therapy became available in the 1980s.
The next step in the history of herpes might be regarding a vaccine, but researchers are still asking the question: Can a vaccine prevent a herpes simplex virus infection? There is plenty of research being done on HSV vaccines but their efficacy in the prevention of human infection has yet to be established.
(Research courtesy of Bernard Roizman, University of Chicago, published in Herpes 8:1 2001)
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