National Board Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) Dental Hygienist Practice Test

After an outbreak of herpetic gingivostomatitis, the herpes simplex virus may remain dormant in which of the following?

1. Sensory ganglion

2. Salivary Glands

3. Blood

4. Lymph nodes

The correct answer is: Sensory ganglion

The herpes simplex virus, particularly after an outbreak of herpetic gingivostomatitis, typically resides in the sensory ganglion. This is due to the virus's unique ability to establish latency in specific nerve tissues, primarily the trigeminal ganglion when it pertains to oral infections. Upon initial infection, the virus travels along the sensory nerves to the ganglia, where it can remain dormant for extended periods without causing symptoms. When reactivation occurs, usually triggered by factors such as stress or immunosuppression, the virus can migrate back along the sensory nerves to the mucosal surfaces and lead to recurrent outbreaks. This characteristic of dormancy within sensory ganglia is crucial to understanding how the herpes simplex virus can remain in the body after initial infections and can lead to subsequent symptomatic episodes. The other options do not host the herpes simplex virus in the same manner. Salivary glands may be involved during an active infection but are not sites for latency. Blood and lymph nodes are not established reservoirs for the virus, and while the virus can be present in bodily fluids during active infection, it does not remain dormant in these locations.