Herpes generally refers to viral herpes, divided into two types of herpes simplex and herpes zoster, both of which are caused by the herpes virus. The cause and pathogenesis of herpes simplex: the virus is divided into two types, type I virus primary infection occurs mostly in young children under 5 years of age, infected through kissing or other close contact with life, mainly causing skin mucosal infection outside the genitals; type II virus primary infection occurs mainly in adults, transmitted through close sexual contact, causing infection in the genital area. After the virus invades the mucous membrane of the skin, it can proliferate locally to form the primary infection, and then move up along the nerve endings to the ganglion that governs the area of the lesion for a long time. Partial cross-immunity can develop after type I and II virus infection, but the presence of specific antibodies in the blood cannot prevent recurrence. Etiology and pathogenesis of herpes zoster: humans are the sole host of the herpes virus. The virus first enters the mucous membrane of the upper respiratory tract, proliferates locally and enters the bloodstream to form initial viremia, then the virus replicates and forms a second viremia, causing cellular vacuole degeneration to form blisters, which is the process by which the virus causes chickenpox. When certain factors (such as trauma, fatigue, malignant tumor, post-illness weakness, use of immunosuppressants, etc.) cause a decrease in the resistance of the patient’s body, the latent virus is activated and travels down the axon of the sensory nerve to replicate in the skin of the area innervated by the nerve, producing blisters and at the same time inflammation and necrosis of the affected nerve. This results in neuralgia, which manifests as herpes zoster. Herpes zoster heals with a long-lasting immunity and usually does not recur.