Latent viral infection

A latent viral infection is a viral infection by a virus which resides in an organism's cells by means of lysogeny. Two such examples are the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and the Herpes Simplex Virus. Latent viral infections may be reactivated (converted to lytic) at any point in the organism's life due to many causes such as immune system response, exposure to certain chemicals or physical stresses, or other infections.