Herpesviridae: Viral Structure, Life Cycle & Infections

The Herpesviridae are a large family of DNA viruses that cause diseases in animals, including humans. The members of this family are also known as herpesviruses. Members of the herpesviridae family include oral and genital herpes, chickenpox, Kaposis sarcoma herpesvirus (most often seen in people with HIV), and the Epstein-Barr virus (which causes infectious mononucleosis). There are eight known herpesviruses out of 100 known herpesviruses that infect humans. Herpesviruses are currently being researched for use in medical treatment, especially in the areas of gene therapy and oncology. Research is also being done into interactions between viral and host proteins, the mechanisms involved in gene regulation, and to find out how herpesviruses establish, maintain, and reactivate latency. The herpesviruses vary greatly in genomic sequence and proteins synthesised, but they all share similar genome and virion structures. This book presents the latest research from around the world in this field.