Does herpes virus live on surfaces or not?

[anxiousmumtobeeee]

Most things I read shows its a virus that thrives only inside the body however have read a couple of articles like this one www.researchgate.net/publication/311616485_Testing_of_the_Adhesion_of_Herpes_Simplex_Virus_on_Textile_Substrates_and_Its_Inactivation_by_Household_Laundry_Processes not sure how reputable this is but they indicate it can live for a few hours on surfaces and clothes etc and could be passed on by someone touching the clothes etc.

Peer reviewed articles are reputable. For a conclusive answer you’d probably want to be looking for systematic reviews/meta analysis that looks at transmission rates and modes of herpes viruses. It’s highly contagious, my mum always used separate towels, cups etc when she had one.

Quick look on World Health Organisation website suggests they acknowledge HSV-1 can be spread via surfaces

I am referring to genital herpes caused by hsv1 strain.