United States: An unidentified woman discovered unexpected consequences from her visit to her neighborhood karaoke bar.
The Zhejiang, China-based woman showed on Douyin- China’s version of TikTok, how she contracted herpes virus after reportedly getting too close to the microphone.
Soon after singing at the karaoke bar, the woman started experiencing mouth blisters, which later resulted in herpes diagnosis from medical tests.
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The woman avoided specifying which type of herpes she had acquired. The HSV-1 virus results in cold sores, whereas HSV-2 leads to genital symptoms in patients.
The two viruses cannot be treated and maintain a sleeping state inside human bodies.
Woman 'contracts incurable disease at karaoke bar after holding mic too close to her face' https://t.co/xrrjIxigIv
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) April 29, 2025
“I have to carry this virus for life; there is no medication available to treat it,’ the woman stated.
“There is only medication to relieve the pain, but the symptoms are recurring,” she added.
According to the amateur singer, eight years later, she continues to experience various unpleasant symptoms of herpes, and cold sores appeared on her face during the earlier part of this year.
As per an expert from Li.Lac, a tech company that is into making a disinfecting device for microphones, warns that “contaminated microphones can spread harmful bacteria or viruses, like the flu or other diseases,” Daily Mail reported.
“This is particularly concerning in settings where multiple people may be using the same microphone, such as in recording studios, theaters, and conference rooms,” it added.
“In addition, microphones can harbor allergens and irritants that can trigger respiratory issues for those who are sensitive,” it continued.
The virus HSV-1, which generates oral herpes, remains fragile after leaving the human body because dried saliva usually inactivates it.
Acquiring viral infection becomes dangerous when you put a contaminated mic near your broken-mouth skin and have an active cold sore.
Research studies this year showed that genital herpes exists in 846 million adults across the world today, as the Daily Mail reported.
The existence of genital herpes represents an extremely widespread and permanent the herpes simplex virus (HSV) exists in two types, which cause the sexually transmitted disease to spread throughout the human body.