pompeii
Posts: 934
Joined: 1/4/2007
From: Silicon Valley, San Jose, California
Status: offline
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<nerd warning>
Herpes isn't really a "skin" virus as much as it's a "nerve" virus; that's why the human immune system can't rid you of it completely.
Two interesting factors, not yet discussed here, regarding all herpes viruses, are that they are transmitted membrane-to-membrane & they hide not in your skin per se, but, in your peripheral nervous system. Read on if you're interested, otherwise </nerd warning>.
The herpes virus' membrane-to-membrane transmission mode means it's not all that easy to get except with close contact with a shedding individual. What physically happens is that the virus buds off from an infected cell with a bubble of the host cell's cell membrane surrounding it like a balloon carrying an ant up into the blue yonder. This virus-in-a-membrane vesicle then butts up against the victim's squamous epithelial cell membrane, the two membranes fuse, and the now-naked virus slips into the cytoplasm of the victim's squamous epithelial cell. Soon, the virus butts up against the nuclear membrane, which allows it into the nucleus, which the Dominant viral DNA promptly coerces into being a reproductive submissive. The submissive nucleus is promptly coerced into creating millions of duplicate viral particles (see note). Soon the nucleus explodes, and these million of viral particles take a swath of cell membrane with them like the balloons at a Macy's parade heading off back into the blue yonder to start the cycle anew.
For about ten days, the herpes virus has a grand time infecting the victim, during which time, all these exploding cells die, thereby causing the lesions that you can see with your naked eye. But, like a lone plane flying into the world trade center, the host doesn't take the insult lightly. A sleeping giant of a xylophobic immune system is suddenly awakened to the threat, keying off the foreign glycoproteins of the invading infidels, and it gears up immediately for battle, summoning the reserves into action.
Prior to the call to arms by the immune system, for the first day or two, the impetuous virus is having a field day with your cells, but, soon, the carriers and aircraft of the awakened mighty immune system are roaring off in droves, attacking directly the viral particles by the millions, in one-on-one hand-to-hand combat. Death and destruction, common to all war, is the result. Both sides suffer, the wasteful exudate filling lesions to capacity until they burst asunder. This rather complex and fierce battle rages on for the next 2 to10 days without abatement, until finally, the tide is turned inevitably in favor of the host. The battle front is broken, scattered about, and the invading soldiers are bayonetted and destroyed, one by one, by the millions as a river of death forms from their remains.
While it might take up to 21 days for new skin to form to cover the lesions, the battle is won within that ten-day period. It's not a fair fight, and the millions of invaders are nearly wiped out by your now furious immune system, which mops up all the valient stragglers until none of the infidels are detectable. Your immune system remains on high alert for a period of time, and the reserves are forever on guard to be reactivated should the invader sally forth in numbers yet again.
However a few broken and demoralized stragglers, cowed into submission, crawled away from the fierce battle, up the crack of cutaneous nerve endings, ascending slowly, hidden from view of the battle below, up within the peripheral sensory nerves, until they reached the sanctuary of the spinal or trigeminal ganglia. Now reasonably safe from the immune system, it is here where they cower, entering a latent state, offering no threat, until such time as they perceive a weakness in the host, to sally forth and do battle yet anew!
Should these impudent craven stragglers, perhaps years later, perceive a weakness in the host, they will sally forth with a common battle cry, only to be again wiped out by a reawakened national guard, always vigilent, never forgetful, after that first terrible insult. Never again will the hosts' immune system be as slow to respond as the first time it was exposed to this insult. The virus will lose, every time. Yet, inevitably, a few craven attackers will dastardly remain, cowering in the nervous tissue, reasonable safe from the antibodies of the immune system such that you can never destroy them completely.
I just realized I've been writing this for a half hour, so, I break free of the tyranny and leave you with this to ponder - no other animal on earth by we humans is infected with genital herpes, so, rest assured, you're flock is safe when you have that special need! :)
Pompeii
Note: Viruses are particles; herpes is basically DNA surrounded by glycoproteins; they're not living organisms; they don't respire; they can't replicate on their own; they have no metabolism, etc. they aren't living; they're basically just intelligent chemicals which can last forever, as long as they don't dessicate or are otherwise denatured.
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