LiquidSmoke said:

There are quite a few anti-viral medications that can effectively erradicate viruses from the body.

It's the retro viruses which are alot more difficult to treat.

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learning sponge said:

theres no cure for hepatitis,mono,chicken pox,herpes,HPV,or HIV..a few of those have vaccines but that's it..if you get a serious virus youre fucked..yes they have drugs to suppress symptoms and duplications but youll always carry it..no cures for viruses only preventive vaccines

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thiotimoline said:

Acyclovir is a treatment, not a cure, unless you take it so soon that the virus doesn't have a chance to get into hiding. It interferes with viral replication, reducing outbreaks and contagion, but does nothing about inactive viruses hiding in nerve cells. Since inactive viruses can be reactivated randomly or when you're stressed, you have to keep taking acyclovir to prevent symptoms from coming back.

For some viruses that can't go dormant, though, antivirals can lead to a cure.

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thiotimoline said:

Viruses are made of RNA or DNA and use the cell's own machinery to make copies of themselves. But only retroviruses can get the cell to write themse into its DNA, and this isn't related to how e.g. HSV goes dormant.

Also: Apparently 8% of human DNA is retroviral in origin but has been passed down in inactive form for many generations. Creepy...

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