Ikhambi le-STI cishe wonke umuntu unalo

I-Herpes ayimnandi. Akumnandi ukukhuluma ngakho, akujabulisi ukufunda ngakho futhi akujabulisi ukuba nakho. I-Herpes, eyaziwa nangokuthi i-HSV-1 ne-HSV-2, igcwele yonke indawo futhi abantu manje sebeqala ukuyibona. Ngokwenhlangano ye-World Health, balinganiselwa ezigidini eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-3.7 abantu abaneminyaka engaphansi kuka-50 abanesifo i-herpes. Lokho kusho ukuthi cishe ama-67% abantu bomhlaba bane-herpes.

Ukukubeka ngezinga elincane, i-American Center for Disease Control iye yabika ukuthi “cishe abantu abangaphezu koyedwa kwabayisithupha abaneminyaka engu-14 kuya kwengu-49 bane-herpes,” futhi iMelika ayilona ukuphela kwezwe elinenkinga. Ucwaningo lwe-Stats Canada olwenziwa kusukela ngo-2009 kuya ku-2011 lwathola ukuthi umuntu oyedwa kwabayisikhombisa baseCanada abaneminyaka engu-16 kuya kwengama-54 unohlobo lwe-HSV. Ngisho nangaphandle kweNyakatho Melika kube nemibiko yokuqubuka kwe-herpes eyandayo, okuhlanganisa nocwaningo lwaseNorway oluthole ukuthi “amaphesenti angama-90 ezifo zangaphakathi ezithweni zangasese abangelwa yi-HSV-1.”

Kungani wonke umuntu ene-herpes?

Ngaphambi kokuthi wonke umuntu athuke, azisonge nge-latex futhi angaphumi endlini kukhona amaqiniso ambalwa okufanele acatshangelwe. I-HSV-1 uhlobo oluvame kakhulu lwe-herpes ukuba nalo, kodwa ngokuvamile lubangela izilonda emlonyeni nasezindebeni. Ngamanye amazwi, i-HSV-1 yilokho abantu abaningi abakubiza ngokuthi izilonda ezibandayo. Izikhathi eziningi idluliselwa ngamathe noma ukwabelana ngento ethelelekile. Kungabangela i-herpes yangasese, eyaziwa nangokuthi i-HSV-2, ngokuvamile ihlale ingalali kumuntu onegciwane, okubangela ukuqubuka ngezikhathi ezithile.

I-HSV-2 uhlobo lwe-herpes oluvame ukuhlotshaniswa ne-herpes yangasese. Isigcwagcwa sokuba nomusa, leso abazali bakho abakutshela ukuthi uzosithola uma uthandana naleyo ntombazane enezindebe zomlomo. Njengazo zonke izinhlobo ze-herpes, ngeshwa futhi ihlala ithule iminyaka kumuntu ngaphandle kokuzibonakalisa ngesimo somzimba. Lokhu kudala ukuthi abantu abaningi basakaze leli gciwane bengazi besuka komunye baye komunye bengazi ukuthi benzani. Ukutheleleka ngokwako akukona ukuphila engozini, kodwa kubangela ukucwaswa emphakathini ngaphezu kwanoma yini enye, kodwa mhlawumbe hhayi isikhathi eside kakhulu.

Inqubo yokwelapha

Muva nje kushicilelwe ucwaningo ku Ama-POSgens we-PLOS emgomeni ongaba khona ongabhubhisa igciwane le-herpes. Ijenali yokufinyelela okuvulekile isuselwe ekushicileleni amaphepha abuyekezwe ontanga amayelana namagciwane, isikhunta, izimuncagazi, ama-prions namagciwane anikela ekuqondeni isayensi yezinto eziphilayo zamagciwane. Leli phephabhuku likubeke kwacaca ukuthi ucwaningo lomlobi uHarvey M. Friedman, uprofesa e-University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, kungaba isinyathelo esilandelayo ekwelapheni igciwane le-herpes.

Umsebenzi kaFriedman wachaza isizathu sokuthi kungani igciwane le-herpes linzima kangaka ukulibhubhisa, ngenxa yomsebenzi walo wesiteji ocashile. "Ngesikhathi se-latency, amagciwane e-herpes aveza kuphela imikhiqizo embalwa yofuzo evumela ukuthi iqhubeke nokubamba iqhaza ngaphandle kokususwa ngempumelelo amasosha ethu omzimba." Umsebenzi wakhe uyaqhubeka nokuchaza ukuthi, "phakathi nalesi sigaba, amagciwane e-herpes awaphindaphindi izakhi zawo zegciwane nge-viral DNA polymerases, okwenza ukwelapha okulwa namagciwane okuqondiswe kulawa ma-polymerase kungasebenzi."

Ucwaningo lukaFriedman luthole, nokho, indlela yokusebenza ngale nqubo. Umsebenzi wakhe waqala ngokuthola indlela yokuhlela ikhono legciwane ukuze ligweme ukutholwa. Inqubo isebenzisa i-CRISPR/Cas (ehlanganisa ukuphindaphinda okufushane kwe-palindromic ehlanganisiwe njalo) ukuze iqondise isakhi sofuzo segciwane futhi, "iphazamise ngokuphelele ukukhiqizwa kwezinhlayiya ezintsha ezithathelwanayo ezivela kumaseli womuntu." Ngamanye amazwi, le nqubo yamisa igciwane ukuthi lisabalale, limise ikhono lalo lokuzifihla emangqamuzaneni amasha amasosha omzimba womuntu.

Ukuhlolwa kokuqala kwenziwe kuphela ezinkawini ezingama-macaque, ngenxa yesimiso sazo sokuzivikela ezifweni esifanayo, kanye nezingulube ze-Guinea ngoba zinezimpawu zomzimba ezifanayo kubantu lapho zivezwe igciwane. Kwakhonjwa ngu Popular Science, umagazini wanyanga zonke okhuluma ngesayensi nobuchwepheshe bamanje, ukuthi ukuntuleka kwezimali yikho okugcina lo mgomo ungekho emakethe yemithi, futhi nalapho kungase kuthathe iminyaka ngaphambi kokuba utholakale kabanzi emphakathini.