Herpesviruses and me.

This pen is soooo nice. I really never bluff. Haha. Not only that I think it looks pretty, it's exceptionally smooth too! What's best is that, it is FOC. HAHA! I wonder how I can have more of this pen? It came in the Gmarket mail last time. LOL!

I really think that herpesviruses are such interesting thing. LOL! Ok, I guess if I study other viruses in depth, I may say the same thing too. LOL! But, this virus is actually infects 90 to 95% of the world's population you know? Hehs. The most common symptom is of course cold sore. For my friends who have know me for a long time, that's the sore that I get and my mama say spiders pee on me. LOL! I believed her for years! GOSH! I feel so naive when I learn about the things I used to believe my mum. And yeap. Once infected, it's going to be there for life. Oh ya, chicken pox is one of disease too! See! How common is this virus?!

But yes, believe that the virus is part of my life. Because, I am really infected. LOL! If not, how to let my mama trick me? LOL!



So, that's the life cycle that I've erm, sorta draw out as I was reading la. Haha. But I'm still at loss on how to draw the lytic and latent replication cycle in. Aish. Until I think of it, I cannot include it in my thesis. Haha. But then, the clever virus had evaded our host immune system by doing something called host shutoff. Cunning. That's the word that SL used in her thesis. HAHA! But yesh. They are really cunning. I guess, all viruses are.

But not to worry. These viruses are a little kind. They just erm, go into latency. Something like hibernation I would put it, in layman terms. BUT! If you are that unlucky, like you are immuno-compromised (immune system not working well somehow or another), it can be reactivated and make a return! Whoosh. So you think you wun get chicken pox for the rest of your life? I'm sorry, you make get shingles instead. That's the reactivated form of varicella zoster virus, which had caused chicken pox!



Disgusted? Yes I am. They always manifest itself to make ppl ugly. I guess, the viruses must be jealous of how pretty humans look? Haha. I'm talking about me. HOHOHOHOHOHO! But anyway, they make this band of lesions. Yucks.

And, it's not just an STD ok? You can get it by being in close contact with the infectious people. Talking and somehow saliva got into your body. Haha. You dun nida sexual intercourse to get chicken pox. RIGHT? But wells, be careful though. Because, it can spread through sexual intercourses. Genital lesions. You can ask me for the papers that have all the ugly photos of all sorts of lesions. But trust me, you wun want to see. HAHAHA!

So, know how much I've read these few days? I feel so exhausted yet amazed at the end of it of course. I've read about herpesviruses as a whole, the 3 subfamilies of the herpesviruses, and then one protein that was homologous across the 3 (which means, triple the reading!) and then, host shutoff, and then structures and then protein production, and then..... Whoosh. Haha. Endnote has over 50 papers le. And, I swear I've read 95% of them. HAHAHA! But, I dun understand why my citations only have around 20 currently. WHAT DID I READ AND NOT CITE? LOL!

This journey had been really amazing so far. I wish, I could get the structures out soon. Because, I really want to see the difference between the gammaherpesviridae and the remaining alphaherpesviridae and betaherpesviridae. Hehs. It would really be interesting, would it?

I see a difference between Kelly who have read so many papers and Kelly who had not read much papers at all. Haha. Misconceptions cleared, knowledge improved. Haha!

Ok, I've wasted enough time, it's time to work out my discussion. Which, I have not alot to write, I think, because, I do not have the structures! LOL!