/sim"pleks/
either of two herpes diseases caused by a herpesvirus that infects humans and some other animals and produces small, transient blisters on the skin or mucous membranes, one type of virus (herpes simplex virus type 1 , or HSV-1) usually associated with oral herpes but also causing genital herpes and the other (herpes simplex virus type 2 , or HSV-2) usually causing genital herpes.
[ 1905-10; ]