Hello,
Thanks for your query at DoctorSpring.
From your history and the photo provided it does look like there is a herpes simplex infection . This is caused by the herpes simplex virus. It can occur secondary to the stress that you have been through. You also have an antibody to the virus which increases the possibility of infection.
It does not look like a simple blister or scratch.
Answer to your second question would be a yes . There is a chance of spreading the infection to her whether you had the blister or not . The virus stays in the top layers of the skin and can easily spread.
Hope this helps, please feel free to discuss further.
Thanks and take care
Patient replied :
thanks! i'm not sure i understand completely, though.
you write:
"You also have an antibody to the virus which increases the possibility of infection."
i do have antibodies, yes. how can this increase her risk of getting it?! i mean, when you have the virus, you have the antibodies, right?
also, you write:
"Answer to your second question would be a yes . There is a chance of spreading the infection to her whether you had the blister or not . The virus stays in the top layers of the skin and can easily spread."
as far as i can read online and from what my doctor told me, the risk of giving herpes type 2 to someone kissing is virtually impossible. unless there is an outbreak.
so what you mean is, 'under normal circumstances the risk of giving it to her would be small, but since i had what possibly is an herpes outbreak OR alternatively a blister you could have given it to her' ?
a final question:
i know it is very difficult to make any precise estimates. but roughly : is there a big or small chance that i have given it to her?
thanks again
Hello,
Thanks for your reply.
If you have antibodies to the virus, that means you had an infection in the past so that's how you have got the antibodies.
Once you get the infection, you can shed the virus and transmit it to others whether you have a blister or not. That is because the virus can stay dormant in the skin, even though there are no blisters.
Herpes virus type 2 can be transmitted at times by kissing even in the absence of active lesions. So in presence of blisters chances increase to some extent.