Which virus can remain latent in the trigeminal nerve ganglia and cause cold sores?

• A. HSV-2
• B. HSV-1
• C. Varicella zoster virus
• D. Cytomegalovirus

Answer: (B)

Latent herpesvirus infections have characteristic nerve-ganglion sites where the virus hides after the initial infection. For cold sores, the key feature is that the virus remains dormant in the trigeminal ganglion, the cluster of nerve cells supplying the face and oral region. When reactivated, the virus travels back to the oral mucosa and lips, producing the characteristic orolabial lesions. This behavior is typical of herpes simplex virus type 1.

The other options don’t fit this pattern: herpes simplex virus type 2 usually remains latent in the sacral ganglia and is more associated with genital herpes; varicella zoster virus hides in dorsal root ganglia and reactivates as shingles along a nerve dermatome; cytomegalovirus can be latent in various cell types like monocytes and is not linked to cold sores.