Why can the herpes virus be dormant?

Why can the herpes virus be dormant?

• A. It is integrated into host DNA in all cells.
• B. It cannot be detected by the immune system.
• C. It survives only in low-temperature environments.
• D. It can remain latent in the ganglia of sensory nerve fibers.

Answer: (D)

Latency in neurons is how herpesviruses persist in the body. After the initial infection, the viral genome takes up residence in the nucleus of sensory neurons, often in the ganglia such as the trigeminal ganglion. In this latent state, most viral genes are silent and only a small set of latency-associated transcripts are expressed. This keeps the virus from actively replicating and helps it evade immune detection, allowing it to “hide” for long periods. When conditions like stress or immunosuppression occur, the virus can reactivate, travel back to epithelial tissues, and cause recurrent lesions. That’s why the correct idea is that it can remain latent in the ganglia of sensory nerve fibers. The other statements don’t fit: herpesviruses do not integrate into the host genome in all cells (they largely persist as episomes in neurons), latency isn’t about being undetectable by the immune system, and dormancy isn’t tied to low temperatures.

Latency in neurons is how herpesviruses persist in the body. After the initial infection, the viral genome takes up residence in the nucleus of sensory neurons, often in the ganglia such as the trigeminal ganglion. In this latent state, most viral genes are silent and only a small set of latency-associated transcripts are expressed. This keeps the virus from actively replicating and helps it evade immune detection, allowing it to “hide” for long periods. When conditions like stress or immunosuppression occur, the virus can reactivate, travel back to epithelial tissues, and cause recurrent lesions.

That’s why the correct idea is that it can remain latent in the ganglia of sensory nerve fibers. The other statements don’t fit: herpesviruses do not integrate into the host genome in all cells (they largely persist as episomes in neurons), latency isn’t about being undetectable by the immune system, and dormancy isn’t tied to low temperatures.