1. Matt Johnson Environmental Health
Herpes
Matt Johnson
Environmental Health
The topic that I will discuss today is Herpes and how it effects the human population. Herpes is a sexually transmitted disease. Before we discuss Herpes, the symptoms and treatments, we must first discuss how a virus is transmitted and what the immune system does to protect the body.

2. Learning Goals
After viewing this presentation, the intended audience should be able to
Understand the immune system
How the immune system handles viruses
Genital herpes and how they affect the body
Identify the symptoms of genital herpes
Identify the possible treatments
The intended audience should be able to take away from this presentation an understanding of the immune system and how it works, genital herpes and how it affects the body, symptoms of genital herpes and the possible treatments for genital herpes.

3. Types of Germs: Virus Virus: smallest know pathogen
Enters a cell, then reproduces and takes over the cell to make more viruses
Newly produced viruses are then released and take over other cells
Spreading occurs rapidly
Ex: common cold, mumps,
hepatitis, mononucleosis,
chickenpox, HIV, ebola,
Herpes, and influenza
A virus is a small pathogen that enters a cell and reproduces to make multiple virus within the body. The virus spreads rapidly throughout the body moving from cell to cell until multiple cells are infected. Some examples of a virus are hepatitis, chicken pox, HIV and the topic that we will discuss in this information session, Herpes.

4. The Immune System and Disease
Immune system: removes harmful organisms from the blood and fights pathogens
Composed of body organs, tissues, cells, and chemicals
Defense mechanisms provided by the body
Unbroken skin
Perspiration and oils on the skin
Tears
Mucus and hairs that line the inside of the nose
Saliva in the mouth
Stomach acid
As the virus spreads within the body, the immune system starts attempting to remove the virus by fighting all infections that don’t belong in the body. The immune system is composed of body organs, tissues, cells and chemicals that provide the body with the necessary defense mechanisms to protect against or rid the body of infection. Examples of defense mechanisms would be: unbroken skin, oils and persperation, tears, mucus and stomach acid. These all prevent illness on either the inside or outside of the body.

5. Immune System Definitions
Lymphocytes: white blood cells that help the body fight pathogens
Multiply in lymph tissue to fight infection
Two types:
B cells: white blood cells that produces antibodies
Helper T cells: white blood cells that signals B cells to produce antibodies
Antibody: special protein that helps fight an infection
Macrophages: white blood cells that surround and destroy pathogens
The immune system is made up of different parts that protect the body against infection. Lymphocytes are white blood cells that help the body fight pathogens and multiply in lymph tissue. There are two types of lymphocytes: B cells and helper t cells. The B cells are white blood cells that produce antibodies to fight infection. The helper T cells signal the B cells to produce those antibodies.
Antibodies are special proteins that help fight infection along with the macrophages. Macrophages are white blood cells that surround and finally destroy pathogens. All of these parts of the immune system are important for the body to fight infection.

6. How The Immune System Works
Once the pathogen enters the body, helper T cells tell B cells to produce antibodies
B cells enter the lymph nodes and lymph tissues, then enter the blood
Antibodies then travel through the blood to destroy the pathogen
Antibodies attach to pathogens and make them easier for macrophages to destroy
Destroyed pathogens enter lymph, are filtered in the lymph nodes, and are then removed through the spleen.
Now that we have all the definitions of the immune system in place, it is important to understand how it works. As the pathogen enters the body, the helper T cells signal the B cells to produce antibodies. The B cells enter the lymph nodes enter the blood. The antibodies then travel through the blood to destroy the pathogen. The antibodies attach to those pathogens and make it easier for the macrophages to destroy the pathogen. The pathogens that were destroyed enter the lymph and filter the pathogen and are removed through the spleen.

7. Genital herpes
Genital herpes is an STD caused by the herpes simplex viruses type 1 and type 2. Most genital herpes is caused by HSV-2
Between the late 1970s and early 1990s, the number of Americans with genital herpes infection increased 30 percent
Now that we have an understanding of how the immune system works, we can discuss genital herpes and how they affect the body. Gential herpes is an STD caused by herpes simplex viruses type 1 or type 2. The majority of genital herpes are caused by the HSV-2 virus.
Genital herpes has been around for a long period of time but became prevalent between the 1970’s and early 1990’s where the number of Americans with genital herpes increased by 30 percent.

8. How common 45 million people ages 12 and older
1 of 5 adolescents and adults
1 of 4 women
1 of 5 men
To put the increase in perspective, the Center of Disease Control published these numbers. 45 million people over the age of 12 have genital herpes. Of those 45 million 1 out of every 5 adolescents and adults has genital herpes. When you distinguish between the sexes, 1 in 4 women and 1 in 5 men have genital herpes.

9. symptoms Blisters Sores Very painful genitals
a second crop of sores, and flu-like symptoms, including fever and swollen glands
Most individuals have no or only minimal signs or symptoms from HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection. When signs do occur, they typically appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals or rectum. The blisters break, leaving tender ulcers (sores) that may take two to four weeks to heal the first time they occur. Typically, another outbreak can appear weeks or months after the first, but it almost always is less severe and shorter than the first outbreak. Although the infection can stay in the body indefinitely, the number of outbreaks tends to decrease over a period of years.

10. Complications
Can cause recurrent painful genital sores in many adults, and herpes infection can be severe in people with suppressed immune systems. Regardless of severity of symptoms, genital herpes frequently causes psychological distress
In addition, genital HSV can cause potentially fatal infections in babies. It is important that women avoid contracting herpes during pregnancy because a first episode during pregnancy causes a greater risk of transmission to the baby. If a woman has active genital herpes at delivery, a cesarean delivery is usually performed. Fortunately, infection of a baby from a woman with herpes infection is rare.
Herpes may play a role in the spread of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Herpes can make people more susceptible to HIV infection, and it can make HIV-infected individuals more infectious.
When a person shows the system of herpes, there can be complications for genital herpes. If a person has a suppressed immune system there can be painful genital sores in adults. Regardless of the symptoms, it can cause psychological distress.
Genital herpes is not just for adults. Genital herpes can be fatal in infants. If a pregnant female has an outbreak of genital herpes during pregnancy, it is a high risk for the baby to contract the disease. If a female has an active outbreak of genital herpes, a cesarean delivery is performed to save the transfer of genital herpes to the child.
If a person has herpes, it increases their risk of getting and spreading HIV. As discussed in previous slides, the immune system is suppressed decreasing the ability of the immune system to fight disease.

11. Treatment
There is no treatment that can cure herpes, but antiviral medications can shorten and prevent outbreaks during the period of time the person takes the medication
The most difficult part about herpes, is that there is no known cure or treatment. There are ways to control the virus to reduce outbreaks by applying antiviral medications. This will shorten the outbreaks, but doesn’t decrease the possibility of transmission of the virus during intercourse.

12. References
Meeks, L., Heit, P., & Page, R. (2003). Comprehensive school health education: Totally awesome strategies for teaching health—3rd Edition. New York: McGraw Hill, Companies.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases Surveillance, (2007). Retrieved on July 11th, from es.htm
Center of Disease Control (2009) Retrieved on July 11th, 2009 from