What are the different types of treatments for viruses?
There are a number of different methods that are available to treat certain viruses, for example, viruses such as measles and polio can be prevented using a vaccine. There are also a variety of other treatments such as antivirals used to treat patients with HIV/AIDS and Hepatitus C.
What are the different types of viruses that enter the body?
• Blood HIV, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, human T-lymphotrophic virus-I and -II, dengue virus, Ebola virus Open in a separate window 5.1.1. Respiratory Tract The respiratory tractis the most common portal of entry for viruses into the human body.
What are the 5 ways of transmission of infectious diseases?
1 Airborne transmission. Some infectious agents can travel long distances and remain suspended in the air for an extended period of time. 2 Contaminated objects. Some organisms can live on objects for a short time. ... 3 Food and drinking water. ... 4 Animal-to-person contact. ... 5 Animal reservoirs. ... More items...
How are viruses transmitted?
Some viruses can spread through touch, saliva, or even the air. Other viruses can be transmitted through sexual contact or by sharing contaminated needles. Insects including ticks and mosquitoes can act as "vectors," transmitting a virus from one host to another. Contaminated food and water are other potential sources of viral infection.
What are the viruses used for in biomedical research?
In biomedical research, scientists use viruses to insert new genes into cells. When most people hear the word "virus," they think of disease-causing (pathogenic) viruses such as the common cold, influenza, chickenpox, human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV ), SARS-CoV-2 and others.
What is the term for the ability of a virus to be transmitted from one person to another?
Contagiousness refers to the ability of a virus to be transmitted from one person (or host) to another. Viral infections are contagious for varying periods of time depending on the virus. An incubation period refers to the time between exposure to a virus (or other pathogen) and the emergence of symptoms.
Why do viruses become inactive?
Certain viruses -- like the ones that cause chickenpox and cold sores -- may be inactive or “latent” after the initial infection.
How do antiviral medications work?
There are some medications that work directly on viruses. These are called antiviral medications. They work by inhibiting the production of virus particles. Some interfere with the production of viral DNA. Others prevent viruses from entering host cells. There are other ways in which these medications work. In general, antiviral medications are most effective when they're taken early on in the course of an initial viral infection or a recurrent outbreak. Different kinds of antiviral medications may be used to treat chickenpox, shingles, herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2), HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and influenza.
How do viruses infect a host?
Viruses infect a host by introducing their genetic material into the cells and hijacking the cell's internal machinery to make more virus particles. With an active viral infection, a virus makes copies of itself and bursts the host cell (killing it) to set the newly-formed virus particles free. In other cases, virus particles "bud" off ...
How does a virus kill a cell?
With an active viral infection, a virus makes copies of itself and bursts the host cell (killing it) to set the newly-formed virus particles free. In other cases, virus particles "bud" off the host cell over a period of time before killing the host cell. Either way, new virus particles are then free to infect other cells.
How do viruses spread?
Viruses can be transmitted in a variety of ways. Some viruses can spread through touch, saliva, or even the air. Other viruses can be transmitted through sexual contact or by sharing contaminated needles. Insects including ticks and mosquitoes can act as "vectors," transmitting a virus from one host to another.
What are the three types of viruses?
The Three Categories of Viruses. There are three different virus types that are made distinct by their shape. The cylindrical helical virus type is associated with the tobacco mosaic virus. Envelope viruses, such as influenza and HIV come covered in a protective lipid envelope.
How many different types of viruses are there?
There are five different types of viruses: Conjugate vaccines, inactivated vaccines, live, attenuated vaccines, subunit vaccines and toxoid vaccines. There are several ways people can slow the spread of a virus in lieu of drugs or vaccination.
How do antiviral drugs help?
Antiviral drugs can treat viruses by inhibiting viral development and slowing down disease progression. These drugs help fight the flue, chickenpox and forms of hepatitis.
What is the latest virus to threaten public health globally?
The latest virus to threaten public health globally is the coronavirus (COVID-19), which originated in Wuhan, China. Governments, global health organizations and the medical community have been working to raise awareness of the global outbreak and continue to warn individuals against traveling. As the death toll continues to rise, advanced practice nurses are working tirelessly to treat an increasing number of patients with COVID-19 and to assist scientists and researchers in learning more about the virus.
How do viruses gain infamy?
Viruses gain their infamy through a combination of large infection rates and death, even when their power has been relatively subdued. Rabies, measles and chickenpox are still notorious, even though vaccines and medications have drastically reduced their deadliness. Some viruses are either no longer a threat or not thought of as threatening: Smallpox has been eradicated, and there hasn’t been a polio case of American origin since 1979.
How does the body fight viruses?
How the Body Fights Viruses. The body fights viruses by breaking down the viral genetic material via RNA interference. The immune system then produces antibodies that bind to viruses to make them noninfectious. Lastly, T cells are sent to destroy the virus.
What is the role of a nurse in the prevention of viral infections?
Advanced practice nurses also fill a leadership role that involves working with government leaders and advocating for health care equality .
How do viruses spread?
These viruses are also contagious. They are shed in the stool during bowel movements. Consuming food or water contaminated by feces can spread the virus to others. Sharing utensils or personal objects with someone who has a virus can also spread the infection.
What is a viral disease?
A viral disease is any health condition caused by a virus. Here are some of the main types of viral diseases are:
How do respiratory viruses spread?
Respiratory viruses are spread through droplets generated through coughing or sneezing by infected person. If you inhale these droplets, you may also develop the viral disease. They can also be spread through contaminated objects, such as doorknobs, tabletops, and personal items.
How are exanthematous viruses transmitted?
Many exanthematous viruses are spread through respiratory droplets, but some others, such as chickenpox and smallpox, can be transmitted by coming into contact with fluid in broken skin lesions.
What are some examples of gastrointestinal viral diseases?
Examples of gastrointestinal viral diseases include norovirus infection, rotavirus infection, some adenovirus infections and astrovirus infection.
How does hepatitis spread?
Usually, Hepatitis A and E are spread through contact with food or water that has been contaminated by an infected person's stool. On the other hand, Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and hepatitis D spread through contact with an infected person's blood.
What is a virus in 2020?
Written by Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : March 30, 2020 8:53 AM IST. Viruses are microscopic organisms that are available abundantly on the earth. They consist of genetic material, RNA or DNA, surrounded by a coat of protein, lipid (fat), or glycoprotein. As viruses cannot replicate without a host, they are classified as parasitic.
How do viruses work?
Viruses use our own cells to replicate. That makes it hard to interfere with viral replication without also interrupting essential processes in healthy cells. In contrast, bacteria carry out their own essential processes, like copying genetic information and building proteins. Many antibiotic drugs work by disrupting these processes specifically in bacteria. Because bacteria are so different from people, the drugs do not cross-react with our own cells. But viruses rely on our cells to build viral proteins and often to copy their genetic information.
How do viruses develop resistance to drugs?
Through mutation, viruses can quickly develop resistance to single drugs. One strategy for getting around this is combination therapy—taking multiple drugs at the same time. This is common for HIV management. Another advantage is that each drug can be given at a lower, less-toxic dose. To learn more about mutation in viruses, visit How Viruses Evolve.
How do antiviral drugs work?
Most antiviral drugs prevent infected cells from making more viruses. They work by disrupting an essential step in the viral replication cycle. A few antiviral drugs block viruses from getting into cells.
Why is it important to use drugs to fight infections?
Others have ways to hide out, evading detection. In cases like these, and especially in the early stages of infection, it can be useful to use drugs to get the immune system going. That way, the immune system can start fighting the infection sooner than it would on its own. Some drugs, for example interferons and cytokines, even mimic the body’s natural immune-boosting signals.
Why do viruses use their own proteins?
And these proteins can be good drug targets. For example, some viruses use their own proteins to copy their genetic information. By targeting these viral proteins, scientists have been able to develop some antiviral drugs that are super effective and highly specific. Acyclovir is a drug that stops replication in herpesviruses. And several antiviral medications for treating HIV (a type of retrovirus) target specific viral proteins.
What is the body's natural defense against infection?
Antibodies are one of the body’s natural defenses against infection. They are proteins, made by specialized immune cells, that circulate in the blood and other fluids. The body makes many types of antibodies, each with a specific target. When an antibody attaches to a virus, it blocks the virus from getting into cells and flags it for destruction. Antibody treatments, including the two described below, are based on these natural molecules.
What are the main targets of drugs?
Most drugs and treatments are aimed at one of three main targets: the virus, the immune system, or the symptoms . The descriptions below don’t cover everything, but they describe the most common options available.
What is the most common portal of entry for viruses into the human body?
The respiratory tractis the most common portal of entry for viruses into the human body. It is a system of tubes that allows for gas exchange between the body and the external environment. The mucosal surfaces of the respiratory tract translate to a very large surface area with which viruses can interact. A resting human inhales around 2 gallons of air every minute, and within each breath are aerosolized droplets and particles that could contain viruses, such as from a cough or sneeze of an infected individual.
How do viruses spread?
For transmission of a virus to occur, a virus must enter a host through a portal of entry, replicate or disseminate within the host , and be transmitted to a new host through a portal of exit. Unless delivered directly into bodily tissues through a bite or needle, most viruses interact with the epithelium at the site of entry . Localized infections replicate at the initial site of infection, while systemic infections spread to additional areas of the body. Viruses are shed into the environment most often through the same route they entered the body. The stability of virions within the environment is dependent upon virion and environmental factors. Epidemiology is the study of how diseases are transmitted through a population. Epidemiologists perform descriptive or analytic studies to characterize the chain of viral infection throughout a population and design control measures to interrupt it.
How do viruses cause disease?
Several factors must be overcome, however, for a virus to initiate a successful infection. First, sufficient numbers of virions must enter the host. A single virion is theoretically enough to initiate infection, but there are many other factors that make it unlikely that a single virion will be successful in establishing an infection. The host cells must be accessibleto the virus, and those cells must be susceptibleto infection, meaning that the cells express the receptors to which the virus can bind. This affinity for susceptible tissues is known as tropism. The cells must also be permissiveto infection, meaning that they contain the proteins and molecules within the cell that are necessary for replication to occur. There are also mechanical, chemical, and microbiological barriers to infection at every site within the body, and the host’s immune system is quickly activated to eradicate the virus. The viruses that exist today have evolutionarily been selected for their traits that allow them to circumvent host factors and initiate infection, although the most successful viruses are not the most virulent: an extremely pathogenic virus will kill its host, thereby eliminating its reservoir and interrupting the chain of infection to another susceptible host.
What are the respiratory tracts?
The respiratory tract is subdivided into the upper respiratory tract, which consists of the nose, nasal passages, sinuses, pharynx, and larynx (voice box), and the lower respiratory tract, which consists of the trachea (windpipe), bronchi (singular: bronchus), and lungs (Fig. 5.2A). Within the lungs, the two bronchi branch into smaller-diameter bronchioles that lead to an estimated 300 million alveoli (singular: alveolus), where gas exchange occurs (Fig. 5.2B). Viruses contained in larger droplets are deposited in the upper respiratory tract, while smaller aerosolized particles or liquids are able to travel into the lower respiratory tract. The upper respiratory tract epithelium contains abundant goblet cellsthat produce mucus, a thick fluid that traps inhaled particulate matter. The majority of the upper respiratory epithelium is lined with cilia, small hairlike structures that move together like oars to push the mucus and its trapped contents to the throat, where it is swallowed (Fig. 5.2C). Each cell has about 300 cilia. In the lower respiratory tract, mucus-secreting goblet cells become less abundant, and ciliated cells are present at the beginning of the lower respiratory tract but are absent in the alveoli of the lungs. The flow of mucus in the upper and lower respiratory tract traps many viral particles, and antibodies (particularly of the IgA isotype) produced by immune system cells bind to virus particles, preventing them from interacting with the cells of the respiratory epithelium. Within the alveoli of the lung are found many alveolar macrophages, another kind of immune system cell that is specialized in phagocytosis, a type of receptor-mediated endocytosis that is used by macrophages to endocytose whole cells or pathogens that are then digested by lysosomes within the macrophage.
How do viruses survive in the gastrointestinal tract?
Viruses that enter via the gastrointestinal tract must be able to survive its hostile environment . The flow of food, water, and saliva provides a mechanical barrier to infection, and mucus produced by the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine provides a physical barrier to infection. Macrophages phagocytose virions, and antibodies neutralize virions to prevent their interaction with host cell receptors. Successful viruses must also be resistant to the low pH of stomach acid and the detergent qualities of bile, which is produced by the liver, stored by the gallbladder, and secreted into the small intestine. The membrane envelopes of most enveloped viruses are disintegrated by bile. Acid-labileviruses are unable to withstand the low pH of the stomach, while acid-resistantviruses contain capsid proteins that are not denatured by low pH (or their protein denaturation is reversible). Within the Picornaviridaefamily, rhinoviruses are acid labile, whereas poliovirus is acid resistant.
How do viruses enter the body?
Viruses are able to gain entry into the body through a variety of different portals. These include the respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, or genital tract, as well as infection of the skin or underlying subcutaneous tissue. Congenital infections are those that are passed from mother to fetus and present at birth. Other less common pathways to infection, including transplants or infection of the eye, can also occur.
How do congenital infections occur?
Congenital infectionsoccur when a mother infects a fetus before its birth . Congenital infections occur via vertical transmission, meaning that the virus is spread from one generation to the next generation (Fig. 5.6). In contrast, most viral infections exhibit horizontal transmission, meaning that direct host-to-host transmission occurs. Viruses with horizontal transmission rely upon a high rate of infection to sustain the virus population, while vertical transmission often leads to long-term persistence of the virus within the child.
How can we prevent the spread of disease?
Improving basic hygiene measures by washing your hands, keeping surfaces clean and using a tissue to sneeze into, can all help prevent the spread of disease. Other factors, such as ensuring that communities have adequate access to safe drinking water and sanitation can also improve the risk of an outbreak.
Is the threat of new and emerging diseases still prevalent?
The threat of new and emerging diseases is still prevalent, as we have seen with the recent SARS-Cov-2 outbreak, alongside zoonotic diseases and arboviruses. In order to treat viruses, we need to engage in ongoing research in order to develop a better understanding of them.
What are the diseases that humans can transmit?
Animal-to-animal disease transmission can sometimes transfer to humans. Zoonosis occurs when diseases are transferred from animals to people. Zoonotic diseases include: 1 anthrax (from sheep) 2 rabies (from rodents and other mammals) 3 West Nile virus (from birds) 4 plague (from rodents)
What are some examples of infectious organisms that can be transmitted through contaminated soil?
Environmental reservoirs. Soil, water, and vegetation containing infectious organisms can also be transferred to people. Hookworm, for example, is transmitted through contaminated soil. Legionnaires’ disease is an example of a disease that can be spread by water that supplies cooling towers and evaporative condensers.
How are zoonotic agents transmitted?
Some zoonotic infectious agents are transmitted by insects, especially those that suck blood. These include mosquitos, fleas, and ticks. The insects become infected when they feed on infected hosts, such as birds, animals, and humans. The disease is then transmitted when the insect bites a new host.
What are some examples of infectious diseases?
Certain types of viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi can all cause infectious disease. Malaria, measles, and respiratory illnesses are examples of infectious diseases.
Why is everyone at risk of getting sick?
Because infectious diseases can spread through direct or indirect contact, everyone is at risk of illness. You have a higher risk of becoming ill when you’re around sick people or in areas susceptible to germs. If you work in or visit a care center, a day-care center, a hospital, or a doctor’s office, take extra precautions to protect yourself.
What are the types of direct contact?
Types of direct contact include: 1. Person-to-person contact. Infectious diseases are commonly transmitted through direct person-to-person contact. Transmission occurs when an infected person touches or exchanges body fluids with someone else. This can happen before an infected person is aware of the illness.
Why is it important to understand infectious diseases?
It’s important to understand how these diseases are transmitted. If you understand the transmission process, you can use this knowledge to protect yourself and help prevent the spread of illnesses.
Society and culture
Causes
- A viral infection is a proliferation of a harmful virus inside the body. Viruses cannot reproduce without the assistance of a host. Viruses infect a host by introducing their genetic material into the cells and hijacking the cell's internal machinery to make more virus particles. With an active viral infection, a virus makes copies of itself and bursts the host cell (killing it) to set the newly-f…
Definition
- Contagiousness refers to the ability of a virus to be transmitted from one person (or host) to another. Viral infections are contagious for varying periods of time depending on the virus. An incubation period refers to the time between exposure to a virus (or other pathogen) and the emergence of symptoms. The contagious period of a virus is not necessarily the same as the in…
Examples
- Respiratory viral infections affect the lungs, nose, and throat. These viruses are most commonly spread by inhaling droplets containing virus particles. Examples include:
Prevention
- Frequent hand-washing, covering the nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, and avoiding contact with infected individuals can all reduce the spread of respiratory infections. Disinfecting hard surfaces and not touching the eyes, nose, and mouth can help reduce transmission as well. The best way to avoid viral skin infections is to avoid skin-to-...
Symptoms
- Viral skin infections can range from mild to severe and often produce a rash. Examples of viral skin infections include:
Epidemiology
- Viruses are abundant in the world and cause many other infections ranging from mild to life-threatening.
Treatment
- Many viral infections resolve on their own without treatment. Other times, treatment of viral infections focuses on symptom relief, not fighting the virus. For example, cold medicine helps alleviate the pain and congestion associated with the cold, but it doesn't act directly on the cold virus. There are some medications that work directly on viruses. These are called antiviral medic…
Types of Viruses and How They Work
Treatment and Prevention
- When an individual is infected with a virus, the body’s immune system goes to war fighting off the intruder. Vaccines can help strengthen the body’s natural immune response and reduce the risk of death.
The Role of Advanced Practice Nurses Worldwide
- Around the world, nurses contribute to the prevention, management and containment of viral outbreaks by caring for infected patients and educating the public on prevention strategies. Advanced practice nurses also fill a leadership role that involves working with government leaders and advocating for health care equality.
The Invaluable Contribution of Nurses
- Across a variety of roles and specializations, nursing professionals fight viruses in numerous ways. Some of their methods are direct, such as preventing surgical infections. Others are legislative in nature, such as advocating for care equality by questioning imbalanced care delivery systems. Nurses also share their expertise with the public on a host of vital topics, such as care …