Can herpes be caused by stress alone?

[curiousandnosey]

My sister has a problem,her other half has come out in a rash on his legs and genitals.Also accompanied by swollen testicles.
He went to the doctors,and was apparently told that it was genital herpes.
Now he says it was caused by stress,which would fit in with their circumstances at the moment.Although a few of the family wouldn't be suprised if it were contracted or caused by an affair.
Can it be caused by simply stress?

some info here

The virus is systemic, the same as chicken pox and shingles. Cold sores are the same virus.
It has to be contracted initially, and yes, genital warts are usually through genital contact. Although, I have heard of a case where a person infected themselves genitally from using the same towel she used to dry her face with cold sores.
It is likely, that if it wasn't contracted this time, it has been dormant and has re-emerged during a period of stress.
I got shingles during a period of severs stress at work.

From everything I have ever understood about herpes from my Cosmo days, it is a sexually transmitted disease. It is a virus so definitely cannot be caused by stress alone, but a recurrence can be triggered by stress. The first attack - which usually comes soon after infection is normally the worst and is often accompanied by flu-like syndrome. It is highly infectious when the rash is present - your sister should not have any contact with the blisters or she is almost certainly likely to contract it herself.
Me? I'd be suspicious.

I have herpes. Its always there, never a cure for it, but it is dormant at the moment, thank god - bloody painful! I contracted through my bastard of an exp who cheated on me during pregnancy and then passed it onto me. I dont think herpes can be contacted by stress, I'm sure it can only be gotten through sex and using an infectee's towel or something, thats why I have my very own towels here at home and no one else can use them. I would be very suspicious of sisters dp if I was her.

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