No cure is available for infections caused by herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 and by the herpes zoster virus, all of which are most infectious during the warm-weather months. However, treatment with antivirals can help to suppress these viruses and minimize outbreaks. 

More than half of all Americans are infected with Herpes simplex virus types 1 (HSV-1, or oral) and 2 (HSV-2, or genital). Far less widespread but equally problematic is the varicella zoster virus, a member of the herpes family of viruses that is responsible for chickenpox and shingles.

No cure is available for any of these viruses, which may lie dormant in those affected for lengthy periods before they emerge again with symptoms. In the case of the varicella zoster virus, however, a childhood vaccine is available that is highly effective.

Outbreaks Are Seasonal

This pattern of dormancy interrupted by intermittent periods during which the viruses are symptomatic is familiar to the millions of men and women infected with these strains of the herpes virus. What may be less widely known is the seasonality of these herpes viral outbreaks.

A peer-reviewed study published at Intechopen.com offers evidence that herpes family viruses are sensitive to sunlight, which can trigger their transformation from dormancy into their active state. To the millions who harbor these herpes viruses, this is an important finding.

Similar Findings in Second Study

Similar findings emerged from a study authored by Michaela Elvira Martinez, an infectious disease ecologist at Columbia University’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences. Her study was published in the November 2018 issue of PLOS Pathogens.

Just as we’ve come to associate influenza outbreaks with the so-called flu season, which spans the colder months of the year, other infectious diseases appear to follow seasonal patterns, according to Martinez.

Her study pinpoints the seasonal drivers of numerous infectious diseases, including genital herpes and herpes zoster. Outbreaks of the former are much more common during the spring and summer, according to Martinez, while herpes zoster infections appear to reach their annual peak in August.

Antivirals Can Minimize Outbreaks

As previously noted, the active manifestations of these herpes viral infections have no cure. However, potent antiviral medications are available that can lessen the severity of an outbreak and reduce the frequency of outbreaks if used regularly.

The Herpes Simplex Virus types 1 and 2 are responsible for both oral and genital herpes, respectively. The former are commonly called cold sores. The symptoms of genital herpes can include tiny blisters that break open, causing painful sores, as well as tingling or itching around your anal region or genitals.

Two of the antivirals prescribed most frequently for the suppression of outbreaks and to minimize symptoms are acyclovir and valacyclovir, the latter of which is sold under the brand-name Valtrex.

If the convenience of ordering these antiviral medications online appeals to you, consider taking your business to eDrugstore.com, a longtime online facilitator headquartered in Tempe, Arizona. It carries both generic acyclovir and brand-name Valtrex, as well as brand-name Denavir (penciclovir), which  is particularly effective against cold sores. To learn more, visit eDrugstore’s Sexual Health page.