The role of herpes virus (cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus) infections in the formation of inflammatory process, as well as in the mechanisms of development of the pathological process in children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis was shown in the article based on the finding of their our studies. Objective of the study : optimization of the therapeutic tactics by determining the role of herpes virus infections in the pathogenesis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis in children. Viral and bacterial antigens were studied using the immune enzyme analysis and the polymerase chain reaction in 86 children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis aged 3 to 15 years (mean age of onset of the disease – 4.6 ± 0.7 years, average duration – 2.8 ± 0.4 years). Results. It is shown that infections caused by herpes virus are the most significant for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The obtained data suggest that these infections serve not only as the factors provoking the disease debut, but also are one of the pathogenetic links in the development of the pathological process.