How long can the herpes virus live in your body without your knowledge?

Years...a lifetime: The HSV I and HSV II bugs can lie quiescent for indeterminate periods of time without actively replicating and shedding. Additionally, a person can shed the virus and thus be contagious without having any pain, obvious blisters, vesicles or cold sores. The best prevention is being proactive: know your sex partner(s) well; always use barriers (condoms); and/or consider refraining from contact.

Indefinitely.: It is possible for the virus to exist indefinitely without a visible active outbreak.

Herpes hides inside: Herpes is a very sneaky virus -it can live inside the body without u even knowing it. This is how, unfortunately, new infections can come about because a person may never have an outbreak but could be infectious to someone else. The best way to find out if u have it is a blood test. If that's positive, then the virus is hiding inside ur body. It's impossible to get rid of, but talk to a doc 4help.