ICD10
ICD-10 Code B00: Herpesviral [herpes simplex] infections
Reviewed by HealthAssure Clinical TeamUpdated 21 May 2026
What is this code?
ICD-10 entries help standardize how diagnoses are organized for coding, reporting, analytics, and documentation. This code sits within the broader ICD-10 area for Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99).
đź“‹Clinical overview
This ICD-10 code is commonly used when documentation describes a herpesviral infection. The most accurate code depends on the documented manifestation, such as cutaneous, oral, neurologic, ocular, disseminated, hepatic, other specified, or unspecified disease pattern.
When is it used?
- May be used when a clinician documents herpesviral [herpes simplex] infections in a patient's medical record.
- May appear in hospital records, claims, referrals, and clinical documentation.
- This code may act more like a grouping or parent code, so a more specific child code may be used in final documentation when available.
What it does not mean
- A code alone does not explain severity, treatment plan, or outcome.
- A medical code should not be treated as a substitute for a doctor's diagnosis or advice.
- This entry may represent a broader category rather than the most specific billable code.
đź©şClinical context
When commonly used
- Primary-care, dermatology, infectious-disease, ophthalmology, neurology, emergency, and inpatient workflows where herpesviral disease is part of the active diagnosis set.
- Coding and utilization-review workflows where the chart identifies the site or syndrome of herpesviral infection and that manifestation changes final code specificity.
Common management context
- Evaluation often includes symptom and lesion review, neurologic or ocular assessment when relevant, antiviral-treatment planning, and coordination across the affected specialty context.
- Documentation usually becomes more specific when the chart identifies skin versus oral versus neurologic versus eye involvement, disseminated disease, hepatic involvement, or another specified herpesviral manifestation.
- Specialist context already linked on this page includes Infectious Disease Specialist, General Physician.
🔍Key distinctions
Important notes
- This ICD-10 family captures herpesviral infection across multiple clinical manifestations rather than a single anatomic site.
- Manifestation detail, such as ocular, neurologic, disseminated, hepatic, other specified, or unspecified pattern, drives the final code specificity inside this family.
- Documentation that describes herpesviral infection is coded differently from varicella-zoster disease, cytomegaloviral disease, or other non-herpes-simplex viral infections.
Important exclusions
- congenital herpesviral infections (P35.2)
- anogenital herpesviral infection (A60.-)
- gammaherpesviral mononucleosis (B27.0-)
- herpangina (B08.5)
Related codes to consider
B00.0Eczema herpeticum
Related herpesviral ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies cutaneous versus oral versus neurologic versus ocular involvement, disseminated or hepatic disease, or another named herpesviral manifestation.
B00.1Herpesviral vesicular dermatitis
Related herpesviral ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies cutaneous versus oral versus neurologic versus ocular involvement, disseminated or hepatic disease, or another named herpesviral manifestation.
B00.2Herpesviral gingivostomatitis and pharyngotonsillitis
Related herpesviral ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies cutaneous versus oral versus neurologic versus ocular involvement, disseminated or hepatic disease, or another named herpesviral manifestation.
B00.3Herpesviral meningitis
Related herpesviral ICD-10 code; documentation often becomes more specific when the chart identifies cutaneous versus oral versus neurologic versus ocular involvement, disseminated or hepatic disease, or another named herpesviral manifestation.
Code hierarchy
chapter
1Certain infectious and parasitic diseases (A00-B99)
block
B00-B09Viral infections characterized by skin and mucous membrane lesions
currentB00-B09
Official coding notes
Excludes1 (do not code together)
- congenital herpesviral infections (P35.2)
Excludes2 (may code together if documented)
- anogenital herpesviral infection (A60.-)
- gammaherpesviral mononucleosis (B27.0-)
- herpangina (B08.5)
Where you may see this code
You may see this entry in coding references, medical records, or claims workflows when a broader diagnosis category is being reviewed before a more specific code is chosen.
Related specialists
Infectious Disease SpecialistGeneral Physician
Related codes
Sibling codes
B01Varicella [chickenpox]B02Zoster [herpes zoster]B03SmallpoxbillableB04MonkeypoxbillableB05MeaslesB06Rubella [German measles]B07Viral wartsB08Other viral infections characterized by skin and mucous membrane lesions, not elsewhere classifiedB09Unspecified viral infection characterized by skin and mucous membrane lesionsbillable
Coding guidelines
Compatibility
Legacy code aligns to an official FY 2026 category. Frontend should resolve to the official category page and surface the billable child codes.
Legacy codes
B00
Replacement codes
B00.0 — Eczema herpeticumB00.1 — Herpesviral vesicular dermatitisB00.2 — Herpesviral gingivostomatitis and pharyngotonsillitisB00.3 — Herpesviral meningitisB00.4 — Herpesviral encephalitisB00.7 — Disseminated herpesviral diseaseB00.9 — Herpesviral infection, unspecified
Common synonyms
Herpesviral [herpes simplex] infections
Frequently asked questions
About this content
This page is prepared by HealthAssure's clinical team using official coding standards from ICD-10. AI tools assist with drafting explanations, which are then reviewed and verified by healthcare professionals for accuracy. This content is for informational purposes and does not replace professional medical advice. Meet our team.