CLASSIFICATION
CLASSIFICATION
| SUBFAMILY | VIRUSES | CHARACTERISTICS |
| Alphaherpesvirinae | Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), Herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2), Varicella zoster virus (VZV), Human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8, KSHV), B virus (Ceropithecine herpesviurs 1, Herpes simiae) | variable host range, relative short reproductive cycle, rapid spread in culture, destruction of infected cells and capacity to establish latent infection primarily but not exclusively in ganglia |
| Betaherpesvirinae | Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Human herpes virus 6 (HSV-6), Human herpes virus 7 (HHV-7) | restricted host range, long reproductive cycle, infection progresses slowly in culture, and latent in secretory cells, lymphoreticular cells, kidneys and other tissues |
| Gammaherpesvirinae | Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) | host range characteristic of the family or order of the natural host, infects specifically B or T cells, latent virus in lymphoid tissue, may cause lytic infections in some types of epitheloid and fibroblastic cells in lymphocyte, infection may be arrested at prelytic or lytic stage but without the production of infectious progeny |