system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
How does Herpes work? Why are there so many forms? Why can't it be cured?
gpt
Herpes viruses have a latent phase and an active phase. As double stranded DNA viruses they incubate (can't think of a better word) in the host cell nucleus, particularly the nerve cells. As these cells stay alive for your entire life, once you get the virus in them it's very hard to get rid of and is out of view of the immune system

When the virus enters its active stage the dsDNA is transcribed to mRNA by the host cell machinery and the viral proteins produced and more virus particles are assembled in the cell, resulting in the blisters and sores associated with many types of herpes. 

We have no treatment for viral infections, we merely manage symptoms and try to aid the immune system in tracking down and killing the virus-infected cells, which is difficult with herpes viruses as they go through extended periods of latency in the host. 

There are so many forms because herpes viruses is a term which encompases all members of the herpesvirales order. There are lots of viruses in this order: '3 families, 3 subfamilies plus 1 unassigned, 17 genera, 90 species and plus 48 as yet unassigned viruses'