Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus
Kaposi's sarcoma
Virus classification
(unranked): Virus
Realm: Duplodnaviria
Kingdom: Heunggongvirae
Phylum: Peploviricota
Class: Herviviricetes
Order: Herpesvirales
Family: Orthoherpesviridae
Genus: Rhadinovirus
Species:
Rhadinovirus humangamma8
Synonyms
  • Human gammaherpesvirus 8
  • Human herpesvirus 8

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the ninth known human herpesvirus. It is also called Human herpesvirus 8, or HHV-8 in short. This virus causes Kaposi's sarcoma, a cancer commonly occurring in AIDS patients, as well as primary effusion lymphoma, HHV-8-associated multicentric Castleman's disease and KSHV inflammatory cytokine syndrome. It is one of seven currently known human cancer viruses, or oncoviruses. Even after many years since the discovery of KSHV/HHV8, there is no known cure for KSHV associated tumorigenesis.