Human papillomavirus infection
By Jake Watson
Symptoms
The most common symptom is warts, on both the skin and around the genitalia. In some cases it can lead to cervical cancer.
Causes
HPV is transmitted sexually. It can be transmitted from mother to child during birth. It is also shared through touching of bodily fluids.
Immune response
HPV can be found by looking at the blood. The gene oncogene will be activated, which can sometimes turn in to tumors. This is what cause for rapid cell growth and the formation of warts. This helps it be detected but does not help treat it. HPV can not be cured and your body can do little to stop it.
How it replicates.
It can only replicate in the Basal cells, the deepest of the skin cells. It can not bind to live tissue so it infects the cell membrane of the cell and then grows next to it, sucking out nutrients. It changes the DNA of the cell so that it will create more of the viruses instead of hairs,
Treatment
It cane be treated but not cured. Most people freeze or burn off the warts to kill some of the infection. Having this done also prevent the possibility of cervical cancer.
Prevention.
The best way to prevent it is to not share needles, touch people who have it or come it to sexual contact with it.