Herpes is a genus of viruses in the Herpesviridae family, the herpesviruses. This family includes the Herpes simplex virus, the cause of oral herpes (cold sores or fever blisters on the mouth or facial area) as well as genital herpes, the Epstein-Barr virus, the cause of mono, the Roseolovirus, the cause of roseola and the Varicella zoster virus, the cause of chicken pox and shingles.