Though scientist may argue on how best
to eradicate viruses,
one thing they all agree on is that not a single virus has been found to
be useful. Unlike bacteria, viruses are parasitic; they take without giving
anything in return.
Most of us are familiar with Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Type
1 and 2. One common misconception is that HSV 1 occurs 'above the waist'
and HSV 2 is sexually transmitted and occurs 'below the waist'.
It is not uncommon to see dentists and other health care workers
with HSV 2 lesions on their hands. Prior to HIV, (human immunodeficiency
virus) infection, many health care workers did not routinely wear gloves.
The possibility of becoming infected through open cut's on the skin has
been well documented.
In the last decade three new human herpes viruses (HHV) have been
recognized because of human disease research focusing on virology. HHV-6
was first isolated from the blood of patients with lymphomas associated
with AIDS. Further serological studies showed that most people by the age
of 1 or 2 years had been infected and that saliva was the most probable
mode of transmission. There is a >85% seropositivity rate in the general
population. It is thought that HHV-6 produces a rash in most primary infections
and then remains dormant, unless activated by certain immune disorders.
A more common name for this virus is Roseola.
HHV-7 is similar to HHV-6 in that probably >85% of the general
population is infected during early childhood. HHV-7 appears to be less
aggressive and has not been associated with any specific human disease.
Some investigators suggest HHV-7 is related in it's ability to reactivate
HHV-6.
HHV-8 was discovered when comparing DNA sequences in Kaposi's Sarcoma,
a common skin lesion in AIDS patients, with those of normal skin. Seropositivity
is not common, only a 5% rate prior to puberty which suggests sexual contact
as a primary mode of transmission. KS, once a disease limited to only HIV
positive men and women, has now been found in HIV negative women and men
as well.
Herpes viruses are quite adept at evading our immune systems.
Once we are infected with them, we never get rid of them. The person who
is infected with HSV can experience a 'silent' period that may last years
and then for unknown reasons the virus reactivates. The same is true of
Herpes Zoster virus, the virus that causes chickenpox. It sneaks into the
nerve cells of the spinal column and remains quietly hidden. Cause of reactivation
is also unknown but results in a very painful skin infection known as shingles.
In my research into the complexities of viruses I found a study
that suggested that some viruses may be transported directly through the
nerves rather than the blood. In one study they injected the polio virus
into one limb of a mouse. The virus migrated to the spinal cord, replicated
and the first limb paralyzed was the one injected. When the nerves connecting
the injected limb to the body were severed before injection, the virus
failed to spread to the spinal cord, even though blood was still circulating.
This suggests that the virus actually travels along the nerves to reach
the spinal cord.
It is still not proven which viruses choose to travel the nerve
pathways but the Herpes family of viruses show consistently that this pathway
is a very viable route.
Enter into this the known anti-viral properties of Essential
Oils and one must wonder if they couldn't play an important part in the
treatment of viruses known to travel the nerve pathways of the spine.
Viruses are not unique to humans and animals. They occur in
the plant kingdom as well. Are modern scientist's looking in the right
place? Might they, while trying to synthesize these plants, be destroying
the very chemical properties that hold if not a cure at least a treatment?