Genital Herpes Essay -- essays research papers

I brook infected 45 million Americans and will infect 1 million more Americans each year. Who am I?Herpes, from the old-fashioned Greek meaning to creep or crawl, is the name of a family of viruses of which herpes simplex virus 1 and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) argon the roughly serious human pathogens. HSV-1 is normally associated with orofacial infections and encephalitis, whereas HSV-2 usually causes genital infections and can be transmitted from infected mothers to neonates. Both viruses establish potential infections in sensory neurons and, upon reactivation, cause lesions at or near point of entry into the body. While HSV-1 and HSV-2 ar different viruses, under a microscope, HSV-1 and 2 are virtually identical, sharing approximately 50% of their deoxyribonucleic acid and are treated similarly. HSV-1 and HSV-2 contain a swelled double-stranded DNA molecule. HSV is gram negative, consists of 162 capsomers and replication takes place within the nuclei of eukar yotic cells. The HSV virion has four parts an electrondense core containing viral DNA an icosapentahedral capsid a tegument-an amorphous socio-economic class of proteins that surround the capsid and an envelope. HSV-1 and HSV-2 encode at least 84 different polypeptides. Each protein does many things, hence HSV genes can encode several(prenominal) hundred different functions. To initiate infection, HSV attaches to at least three different classes of cell-surface receptor and fuses its envelope with the plasma membrane. The capsid, minus its envelope, is transported to the nuclear pore, through which it releases viral DNA into the nucleus. HSV replicates by three rounds of transcription that yield alpha (immediate early) proteins that mainly regulate viral replication beta (early) proteins that synthesise and package DNA and gamma (late) proteins, approximately of which are virion proteins. Of the 84 known polypeptides, at least 47 are not needed for viral replication in cultured ce lls. These 47 genes are not completely dispensable. Some complement cellular genes that are not expressed in terminally differentiated cells others alter cellular metabolism to contain high virus yields. Mutant viruses lacking these genes cannot survive in nature.The symptoms of genital herpes vary widely form person to person. Some people have severe symptoms (such as many painfu... ...Unlike the culture method, this test does not require growing the virus but rather seeks to identify herpes by the mien of antigens, fragments of the virus that are know to stimulate the immune response. Herpes cannot be cured. Once someone is infected with either virus, it cannot be cleared from the human body. venereal herpes is usually treated with antiviral drugs such as Acyclovir (Zovirax), Famciclovir (Famvir), and Valacyclovir (Valtrex) to help keep the virus in an inactive state and prevent most outbreaks but again does not cure a person from the virus. During an active herpes episode peo ple should follow a few key step to speed healing and avoid spreading the infection to other places on the body or to other peopleKeep the infected area brush and dry to prevent other infections from developingTry to avoid touching the soresWash you hands after contact with the soresAvoid sexual contact from the fourth dimension the first symptom is felt until the sores are completely healed, that is, the scab has fallen off and new skin has formed where the sore was.