A Cure for Herpes? (Full Version)

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candystripper -> A Cure for Herpes? (6/27/2008 5:40:13 AM)

There has been medical news about a vaccine for shingles, a viral disease related to herpes.
 
http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/06/09/hlbf0609.htm#1 
 
American Medical Association.
 
Herpes infections can be very serious, even deadly.  Herpes infections are related to, and may increase the chance of, infections of Hepatitus C and HIV.  People with compromised immune systems, such as transplant patients, ae at a higher risk of serious complications.   Some people suffer terribly with herpes outbreaks, and have them frequently. 
 
It is estimated that one in five Americans is now infected with herpes.
 
(Note: results of research done in the New England Journal of Medicine, for which I have a free trial subscription.)
 
Homepage of the New England Journal of Medicine:
 
http://content.nejm.org/
 
Anyone have any news about this?
 
candystripper



sirsholly -> RE: A Cure for Herpes? (6/27/2008 5:54:13 AM)

shingles is not related to herpes. It IS herpes..in one of its many forms.



camille65 -> RE: A Cure for Herpes? (6/27/2008 5:54:20 AM)

Vaccines for chickenpox and shingles don't mean the same thing as 'a cure for herpes'.



angelikaJ -> RE: A Cure for Herpes? (6/27/2008 5:55:04 AM)

Shingles is caused by the same variety of herpes as Chicken Pox.



candystripper -> RE: A Cure for Herpes? (6/27/2008 6:00:49 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: angelikaJ

Shingles is caused by the same variety of herpes as Chicken Pox.


Well, as far as I can tell, the answer is both yes and no.  Shingles, chickenpox and cold sores are caused by the HSV-1 virus, while herpes is caused by the HSV-2 virsus.  But there seems to be a consensus that research and progress on the prevention and cure of HSV-1 viruses will almost certainly lead to the same for herpes.
 
candystripper



sirsholly -> RE: A Cure for Herpes? (6/27/2008 6:49:54 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: candystripper

quote:

ORIGINAL: angelikaJ

Shingles is caused by the same variety of herpes as Chicken Pox.


Well, as far as I can tell, the answer is both yes and no.  Shingles, chickenpox and cold sores are caused by the HSV-1 virus, while HERPES is caused by the HSV-2 virsus.  But there seems to be a consensus that research and progress on the prevention and cure of HSV-1 viruses will almost certainly lead to the same for herpes.
 
candystripper


Herpes has many forms...you are stating "herpes is caused by..". There is not just one type of herpes. I am assuming you are refering to genital herpes though.

Shingles, chicken pox, and cold sores are also forms of herpes...just as genital herpes is..



angelikaJ -> RE: A Cure for Herpes? (6/27/2008 7:48:20 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: candystripper

quote:

ORIGINAL: angelikaJ

Shingles is caused by the same variety of herpes as Chicken Pox.


Well, as far as I can tell, the answer is both yes and no.  Shingles, chickenpox and cold sores are caused by the HSV-1 virus, while herpes is caused by the HSV-2 virsus.  But there seems to be a consensus that research and progress on the prevention and cure of HSV-1 viruses will almost certainly lead to the same for herpes.
 
candystripper


Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is the cause of chickenpox and herpes zoster (also called shingles). 
Cold sores are caused by HSV-1, genital herpes is caused by HSV-2.

edit to include:
http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/TOPIC823.HTM

and to clarify.



xxblushesxx -> RE: A Cure for Herpes? (6/27/2008 8:05:42 AM)

To complicate it even a bit further; HSV1 can be transferred both to and by the mouth, and both to and by the genitals. Same thing with HSV2.



Lynnxz -> RE: A Cure for Herpes? (6/27/2008 8:15:25 AM)

?

This is not new by any means- Chicken pox vaccines have been around for years- and it's not a cure, they actually GIVE you the weakened or inactive form of the chicken pox virus- your body fights it off, and 'b-cells' in your bloodstream retain a memory of the virus. When you are exposed again, your body recognizes it, and it is fought off before it can affect you.

As far as the herpes thing goes....there are eightish types
  • Type one is Oral Herpes, causes cold sores
  • Type two causes the genital sores.. .and is usually what people think of when they think of herpes.
  • Type three is the herpes zoster virus, causes chickenpox, and shingles later in life.
  • Type four is Mononucleosis
  • Six and seven are newish.... and seem to cause problems in the blood, and may cause rosola in small children.
  • Eight is found in Kaposi's Sarcoma tumors in AIDS patients.

*Flex*

*Is enormously pleased with herself with remembering this from last semester*




daddysliloneds -> RE: A Cure for Herpes? (6/27/2008 12:21:22 PM)

preventive vaccinations is a far cry from being vaccinations as a cure.



sirsholly -> RE: A Cure for Herpes? (6/27/2008 5:05:01 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: daddysliloneds

preventive vaccinations is a far cry from being vaccinations as a cure.


and the vaccination does not prevent a child from getting Chicken Pox....it reduces the risk but does not prevent it



daddysliloneds -> RE: A Cure for Herpes? (6/27/2008 5:50:21 PM)

and sometimes worse, like when my son, as an infant, got vaccinated for measles and contracted the measles from the live virus used in the vaccination...

or

when polio vaccinations were taken to third world countries by the u.s., in an attempt to do a good thing, and then the third world country accuses you of trying to kill off their people, because just about one third of those vaccinated ended up contracting polio and dying from it.



GreedyTop -> RE: A Cure for Herpes? (6/27/2008 6:13:29 PM)

 
quote:

ORIGINAL: Lynnxz

?

This is not new by any means- Chicken pox vaccines have been around for years- and it's not a cure, they actually GIVE you the weakened or inactive form of the chicken pox virus- your body fights it off, and 'b-cells' in your bloodstream retain a memory of the virus. When you are exposed again, your body recognizes it, and it is fought off before it can affect you.

As far as the herpes thing goes....there are eightish types
  • Type one is Oral Herpes, causes cold sores
  • Type two causes the genital sores.. .and is usually what people think of when they think of herpes.
  • Type three is the herpes zoster virus, causes chickenpox, and shingles later in life.
  • Type four is Mononucleosis
  • Six and seven are newish.... and seem to cause problems in the blood, and may cause rosola in small children.
  • Eight is found in Kaposi's Sarcoma tumors in AIDS patients.

*Flex*

*Is enormously pleased with herself with remembering this from last semester*


[sm=applause.gif][sm=applause.gif][sm=applause.gif][sm=applause.gif][sm=applause.gif][sm=applause.gif][sm=applause.gif]



DelilahDeb -> RE: A Cure for Herpes? (6/27/2008 8:46:14 PM)

Like most Americans my age, I had chickenpox at a very young age. The herpes zoster virus that causes shingles is the same virus that causes chickenpox—which runs its course with (usually) no ill effects when you have it as a childhood disease, but can pop up as shingles in middle and later life. Which is why it is true that shingles itself is not infectious; the infectious stage is chickenpox.

A "vaccine" for shingles would, I suspect, be something that either eradicates the dormant herpes zoster virus or prevents its becoming active (I suspect the latter).

For everyone's info, some ordinary herbs are effective against herpes viruses: thyme, lemon balm (melissa)




GracefulDevotion -> RE: A Cure for Herpes? (6/27/2008 10:14:02 PM)

HSV-1 and HSV-2 can infect both the mouth, throat, nasal, and genital areas. However, HSV-1 is usually located near the face, and HSV-2 is usually located near the genitals. The virus lives in a fluid near the ear and the base of the spine. Actually, more people have it than the simpler epidemiology studies indicate but a very high percentage of people are asymptomatic. That doesn't mean however that asymptomatic people can't pass it on to someone else who will become symptomatic. The virus is usually passed when it is shedding, which sometimes leads to cold sores and genital sores but an infected person can shed without any sores to the visible eye. This is when the risk of transmission is really high.

As far as I know, there hasn't been many advances beyond Valtrex. Vaccines are being researched but vaccine development is a very risky and difficult thing in pharma because of some ethical issues surrounding clinical trial design.



swordgirl -> RE: A Cure for Herpes? (7/3/2008 8:35:35 AM)

Just to clarify:  Shingles is infectious particularly when the blisters appear.  Also they are VERY painful, and ya'll are correct that it is herpes zoster that causes it, the same virus that causes chicken pox. 

From the CDC:
"What is shingles (herpes zoster)? Shingles, also called herpes zoster or zoster, is a painful skin rash caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV). VZV is the same virus that causes chickenpox. After a person recovers from chickenpox, the virus stays in the body. Usually the virus does not cause any problems; however, the virus can reappear years later, causing shingles. Herpes zoster is not caused by the same virus that causes genital herpes, a sexually transmitted disease."
It resides in nerve pathways throughout your life once you have had chickenpox.  When your immune system is compromised it can flare up again as shingles.
I am a registered nurse, and in my hospital we place patients under contact isolation if they have active shingles.  Primarily this is to prevent disease transmission to those who have not had chicken pox and do not have the antibodies to this virus. 

And the vaccine originally posted is to help prevent an outbreak of shingles and trust me as soon as i am eligible I am getting it!

From the Centers for Disease Control:

"Is there a vaccine to prevent shingles? Yes. Zostavax, made by Merck, was licensed May 25, 2006 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in people 60 years old and older to prevent shingles. This is a one-time vaccination. Zostavax does not treat shingles or post-herpetic neuralgia (pain after the rash is gone) once it develops. Can the shingles vaccine be given to people who have already had shingles? Yes. People who have had shingles can receive the shingles vaccine to help prevent future occurrences of the disease. Why is the shingles vaccine only recommended for people 60 years and older? A person's risk for getting shingles begins to rise around age 50. However, shingles vaccine (Zostavax) is only recommended for persons age 60 and older because the safety and effects of the vaccine were only studied in this group, which accounts for about half of all cases of shingles occurring each year in the United States. Future research will determine if the recommended age for vaccination should be lowered."
Very interesting discussion.
SwordgirlIn Service to Ms. Suzan





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