CD4 and HIV infectious disease: Persons with HIV infection, particularly those with low circulating CD4+ T-cell counts, are sometimes unable to control genital HSV-2 and can develop severe persistent lesions despite the use of potent antiviral therapy.[7, 8] Ultimately, drug resistant HSV-2 strains may predominate, necessitating use of more toxic second line antiviral agents.[9] HSV-2 can disseminate in a minority of patients with AIDS leading to multi-organ involvement and severe morbidity.[10]