Caused by the herpes simplex virus, herpetic whitlow can affect anyone. And it's very transmissible and infectious. You can contract herpetic whitlow by simply touching a cold sore of another infected ...

Diagnosis Herpetic whitlow is caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 or 2. In children, it is most often caused by autoinoculation of HSV-1 from perioral herpetic blisters (Wu & Schwartz, 2007).