Ancient Herpes Viruses Might Have Spread Through Kissing

Two-thirds of the world’s population today have herpes. Now, scientists date it back 5,000 years, when people moved into dense cities and began kissing their romantic partners.

By Jason P. Dinh
Jul 27, 2022 6:30 PM
Kissing
(Credit: VectorMine/Shutterstock)

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Believe it or not, 3.7 billion people have herpes. Most get it through harmless interactions, like sharing a spoon or kissing a baby, and are entirely unaware. After all, it’s usually dormant, and for most people, it only causes periodic cold sores.

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