What is human herpes virus 8?
Human herpes virus 8 is a virus first identified in the 1990s that has been associated with Kaposi’s sarcoma and possibly with a type of cancer called body cavity lymphoma (a tumor that arises from the lymph tissue). Kaposi’s sarcoma is an unusual skin tumor that is seen primarily in HIV-infected men. Human herpes virus 8 has also been isolated in the semen of HIV infected individuals. Because of these factors, the possibility has been raised that Human herpes virus 8 is a sexually transmitted infection. Several important issues related to the role of Human herpes virus 8 as a disease-causing agent have not yet been fully determined, such as whether Human herpes virus 8 actually causes disease, how it is transmitted, what diseases it might cause, and how to treat these disease(s). Recent case reports have shown that in children and men who have sex with men, a new (acute) infection with Human herpes virus 8 can lead to an illness characterized by fever and rash, and/or to enlarged lymp
