Viruses belonging to the family Herpesviridae, having more than ninety members. Five causing human infections are as follows: herpes simplex (cold sores and genital herpes); varicella-zoster (chicken pox); cytomegalo (infectious mononucleosis); Epstein-Barr virus (certain cancers); and human herpes 6 (roseola).

a large family of viruses that cause a number of related conditions including, but not limited to, oral and genital herpes simplex, varicella (chickenpox), and herpes zoster (shingles).