Advice on herpes simplex virus infections in Therapeutic Guidelines

Advice on treating herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections is available in Therapeutic Guidelines for:

• oral mucocutaneous herpes, including initial and recurrent infection (covered in this topic)
• cutaneous manifestations, including eczema herpeticum and herpetic whitlow
• genital herpes
• encephalitis
• keratitis
• oesophageal HSV infection
• prophylaxis in immunocompromised adults without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
• neonatal herpes simplex infection.

Herpes zoster infection (eg shingles, herpes zoster ophthalmicus) is caused by the related varicella-zoster virus.