HSV (Herpes simplex virus) can be spread when an infected person is producing and shedding the virus. Herpes simplex can be spread through contact with saliva, such as sharing drinks. Symptoms of herpes simplex virus infection include watery blisters in the skin or mucous membranes of the mouth, lips or genitals. Lesions heal with ascab characteristic of herpetic disease. As neurotropic and neuroinvasive viruses, HSV-1 and -2 persist in the body by becoming latent and hiding from the immune system in the cell bodies of neurons. After the initial or primary infection, some infected people experience sporadic episodes of viral reactivation or outbreaks.