Beyond the heavy hitters like COVID-19, bird flu, and Ebola, more common viral infections — such as the annual flu — cost the U.S. an estimated $11.2 billion each year in lost productivity alone, leaving a huge burden on our health system and the economy.
Another widespread virus that transmits through oral contact is herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), which infects over two-thirds of the global population and can, in rare cases, lead to encephalitis or infectious blindness.
Vaccines remain a cornerstone of prevention, but low vaccination rates, waning immunity in older adults, or the absence of available vaccines — as is the case with HSV — highlight the need for new strategies to reduce disease spread.
