Shortly after the reeognition of the aequired immunodefieieney syndrome (AIDS) in 1981 (1-3), it was hypothesized that herpesviruses may play an important role in the etiology or pathogenesis of this newly identified syndrome (4,5). This theory was based on the faet that infeetion with herpesviruses was a prominent elinieal feature in nearly all patients with AIDS (3-5). Chronie mueocutaneous herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections were one of the first opportunistie infeetions deseribed in patients with AIDS (3), and both cytomegalovirus (CMV) and HSV infections were extremely common in...