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22 years
Is herpex simplex/cold sores around the mouth contagious?
Aug 5, 2014

Dr. Rania Mousa General Medicine
Oral herpes is an infection of the mouth and lips caused by a specific type of the herpes simplex virus (also termed HSV-1or type 1 herpes simplex virus). The virus causes painful sores on the lips, gums, tongue, roof of the mouth, inside the cheeks, and sometimes on the face and neck
People contract HSV-1 by touching infected saliva, mucous membranes, or skin. Because the virus is highly contagious, a majority of the population is infected by at least one herpes subtype of HSV-1 before adulthood.
so you need only to be infected by the HSV 1 virus to be infected and have cold sores ,so by contacting the other person direct contact to the sores by touching or kissing or any contact you can develop cold sores too .
you yourself can affect other skin to infected too so it is advisable that the person himself not to touch the sores and if happen proper cleaning and hygiene recommended
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