Biomedical Frontiers: Winter 1995, Vol.2, No.2
Herpesvirus Linked to Kaposi's Sarcoma
What is a Herpesvirus?

Seven known herpesviruses infect humans. DNA viruses that often cause blistery lesions in the skin and mucous membranes, herpesviruses exist in latent and actively replicating forms. The following are herpesviruses: Cytomegalovirus can be silent or cause brain damage in newborns and blindness in AIDS patients; Epstein-Barr virus can cause infectious mononucleosis and is associated with Burkitt's lymphoma; Varicella zoster causes chicken pox and shingles; Herpes simplex 2 (HSV2) causes genital lesions. HSV1 is associated with mouth chancre sores. Antiviral treatments treat active infection but often do not cure latent viral disease. The sequences found in the Kaposi's sarcoma lesions are most closely related to the Epstein-Barr virus that causes mononucleosis.