A family of viruses that cause infections like cold sores, chickenpox, and shingles in humans and animals.
From Greek herpes (meaning 'creeping') describing the spreading skin infection, plus virus. The name refers to how the infection seems to creep across the skin.
Herpesviruses are sneaky—they hide in your nerve cells for life and can reactivate decades later when your immune system is stressed, which is why cold sores keep coming back!
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