The herpes viruses are very important enveloped DNA viruses that cause disease in all vertebrate species and in some invertebrates such as oysters. Some of the human ones are herpes simplex (HSV) I and II, causing facial and genital lesions, and the varicella-zoster (VSV), causing chicken pox and shingles. Each of these three actively infect nervous tissue. Primary infections are fairly mild, but the virus is not then cleared from the host; rather, viral genomes are maintained in cells in a latent phase. The virus can then reactivate, replicate again, and be infectious to others.

If scientists are trying to use what they know about HSV to devise a means of protecting other people from being infected, which of the following would have the best chance of lowering the number of new cases of infection?

A) vaccination of all persons with preexisting cases.
B) interference with new viral replication in preexisting cases.
C) treatment of the HSV lesions to shorten the breakout.
D) medication that destroys surface HSV before it gets to neurons.
E) education about avoiding sources of infection.