Quoting a paragraph on your post.
"Some viruses, like the herpes virus, can “hide” by not forcing the cell to produce virus proteins. The herpes virus embeds itself into cells of the nervous system and only induces protein synthesis when the time is right. This way, a herpes infection can go unnoticed for a very long time before it suddenly breaks out (because of an organ transplant and the resulting immunosuppression for example)."
I have a 53 year old diabetic patient who is a right trans-tibial amputee, he recently started developing some blister looking bumps all over his skin and the stump thus affecting the prosthetic socket fit and stump comfort, he told me his doctor diagnosed him of herpes simplex virus which is most commonly seen as an STI and the patient has confirmed not to have had unprotected sex for about 25 years now and is wife is not diagnosed with herpes as well.....my question is how long could it take the virus to Manifest and apart from sexual infections what other ways could one get infected with Herpes
Ah, I'm not a medical doctor so I don't know all the ways. But a herpes virus stays, after the infection, for the rest of a human's life. Manifestation can happen after decades or never.
A herpes virus is usually transmitted via contact of mucous membranes so sex, birth, oral sex and even kissing can transmit it. Genital herpes appears in the oral region and oral herpes in the genital region quite frequently.
Your patient might have cought it in his early youth or even as a child. Even an innocent kiss on the lips from parent to child can transmit herpes without anyone noticing and the initial infection can happen without symptoms.