According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 45 million Americans are infected with the herpes simplex virus (HSV). During the first year after an initial outbreak, a person may have four to five recurrences. Many people complain of flu-like symptoms before a herpes recurrence.
Fever
Fever lasting 2 to 7 days is a common symptom in recurrent herpes, according to Dr. Lawrence Corey, chair of virology at the University of Washington College of Medicine. This fever is characteristically mild and may not be a fever at all---just an elevation of a person's normal baseline temperature or a subjective feeling of feverishness. Fever is usually most severe during the initial episode and becomes milder with each recurrence.
Headache and Muscle Pain
Headache and muscle pain during outbreaks are reported by 80 percent of people, according to a 2005 article in the medical journal "American Family Physician." These symptoms usually last from 3 to 14 days and, like fever, become less severe with each recurrence, although they ultimately plateau. Symptoms usually precede the appearance of skin lesions and resolve somewhat sooner. In some patients, headache and muscle pain are accompanied by swollen lymph nodes in the groin and/or the neck.
Malaise
Malaise is a general feeling of sickness or ill-health that accompanies flu and other illnesses such as herpes. Symptoms of malaise may include feelings of lethargy, fatigue, irritability, lack of appetite and non-specific pain. Malaise, according to the CDC, is a common herald of herpes recurrence and may persist for the duration of the outbreak.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Genital Herpes
- Herpes Simplex Viruses (Chapter); L. Corey; In: Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 17th edition; A.S. Fauci, E. Braunwald, D.L. Kasper, S.L. Hauser, D.L. Longer, J.L. Jameson, and J. Loscalzo (Eds); 2008
- American Family Physician; Genital Herpes: A Review; J.G. Beauman; Oct 15 2005
