HHV8, also known as Human herpsevirus 8 or Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, causes Kaposi's sarcoma in immunocompromised patients. In healthy patients, the immune system keeps the infection in check and no signs or symptoms are observed. As a herpesviridae family member, the HHV-8 virion shares the enveloped, spherical, and linear double-stranded DNA features of other herpes viruses. Its 145-Kb genome encodes approximately 90 open reading frames.