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Pathology · single question

Why do many patients with recurrent herpes labialis have no history of primary herpetic gingivostomatitis?

  1. The primary infection was subclinical
  2. The primary infection occurred after the recurrence
  3. They were reinfected by a different HSV strain
  4. Recurrent lesions do not require prior primary infection
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Correct answer: A. The primary infection was subclinical

  • A. Correct. The large majority of primary HSV-1 infections are asymptomatic or produce only mild, non-specific symptoms. The virus still establishes latency in the trigeminal ganglion, so recurrences can occur without any remembered primary episode.
  • B. This reverses the biology — latency must be established before reactivation is possible.
  • C. Recurrence is reactivation of latent virus in the same host, not reinfection with a new strain.
  • D. Latency established by primary infection is an absolute prerequisite for recurrence.

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