Viral Infections Hundreds of viruses infect humans causing diseases ranging from the common cold to ebola. Herein, the focus is on the herpes family of viruses, which are among the most common infections of mankind. There are eight different members of the herpes family based on our current understanding of this group of viruses that infect humans.
Latency is life long.
Given the right circumstances, the virus can surface again in its activated form, which is called reactivation. The mechanisms by which the virus infects an individual, interacts with the immune system, maintains latency, reactivates, and so on, has been established. Such reactivation can occasionally occur in normal patients. Epstein-Barr virus classically causes infectious mononucleosis. Several associations include nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Burkitt s lymphoma, and a link with lymphoma, especially in AIDS patients.