Infections of the herpes virus have been prevalent as early as ancient Greek times. Hippocrates is known to have described the cutaneous spreading of herpes simplex lesions and scholars of Greek civilization define the greek word “herpes” to mean “to creep or crawl” in reference the spreading nature of the herpetic skin lesions. In one of the most famous of all Shakespeare’s writings Queen Mab says “O’er ladies lips, who straight on kisses dream, which oft the angry Mab with blisters plagues, because their breaths with sweetmeats tainted are.” That from Romeo and Juliet. Nonetheless, it was not until 1893 when Vidal recognized that human transmission of herpes simplex infection from one individual to another.
