Asymmetry

Just over three weeks ago I was struck down by shingles. Unpleasant though this affliction is, it presents some intriguing unexplained aspects. Apparently the virus, herpes zoster , or chicken-pox for the aged, affects only one side of your body, the right in my case. Is that because the virus appears in one of two forms, mirror reflections of each other? If not, how does the virus know which side of your body it is attacking? Are there any other illnesses that have this asymmetric aspect? Dextrose and laevose are enantiomorphic isomers, the latter is poisonous but the former is not. Does anybody know anything about this sort of thing?

I had shingles in my early teens (13-14ish) – I didn’t have chicken pox as a child. It went around my waist, but not the whole way. I don’t remember it being only one side though. There were old wives’ tales that if the circle joined up it was fatal!

affects only one side of your body

AIUI it will affect only one nerve branch, so it will be a portion of one side – dermatome

.. will affect only one nerve branch

That is interesting – a bit like fertilization of an ovum by one sperm inhibiting fertilization by any other. It suggests that a cure might be found if the inhibitor could be identified.

Etymology department: shingles is from Latin cingula , little belts. The German is guertelroser , I believe. Girdle-roses sounds nicer than part of the roof.