Viral Disease

HIV (AIDS)

• Location: Immune System

• Spreads via: sexual contact, blood, needles, mother to child

• Treatment: combination of antiviral drugs

• Two strains: HIV-1 & HIV-2

• Targets dendritic cells, macrophages, & T cells (WBC)

• Carries reverse transcriptase and integrase; Mutates rapidly

• Causes immunodeficiency

• Can lead to Kaposi’s sarcoma (cancer)

Rubella (German measles)

• Location: skin and eyes

• Treatment: MMR vaccine

• Can cross the placenta and cause Congenital Rubella syndrome

Measles (Rubeola)

• Location: skin and eyes

• Signs: Koplik’s spots on lips and cheeks (white lesions)

• Treatment: MMR vaccine

Varicella Zoster

• Location: skin and eyes

• Treatment: Vaccines available for both chickenpox and shingles

• Causes chickenpox and shingles when reactivated

• Reye’s syndrome if aspirin used during infection

• Latent in cranial ganglia

Smallpox

• Location: skin and eyes

• Replated to monkeypox (less severe)

• Eradicated virus due to no animal reservoirs and global vaccination

Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV)

• Location: skin and eyes

• HSV-1: oral cold sores

• HSV 2: genital herpes

• Latent in nerve ganglia

• Transmitted without visible sores

Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

• Location: skin and eyes

• Treatment: Gardasil vaccine

• High risk for 16 & 18 yrs old —> cancer

• Over 100 strains causing common or genital warts

Polio

• Location: Nervous System

• Spreads via: fecal-oral route —> paralysis

• Treatment: Salk (IPV) and Sabin (OPV)

Rabies

• Location: Nervous System

• Spreads via: bites or saliva from infected mammals

• Causes fatal encephalitis (inflammation of brain)

• Pets should be vaccinated

West Nile

• Location: Nervous System

• Spreads via: mosquito borne; birds serve as reservoirs

• Causes encephalitis

Equine Encephalitis, St. Louis Encephalitis

• Location: Nervous System

• Spreads via: mosquito borne; birds are reservoirs

• Causes encephalitis

Zika Virus

• Location: Nervous System

• Spreads via: mosquito borne; sexually; mother to fetus

• Major risk is microcephaly in infants when infection occurs in pregnancy

Prion Diseases

• Location: Nervous System

• Spreads via: misfolded proteins

• Causes neurodegenerative diseases

Epstein Barr Virus

• Location: Nervous System

• Causes mononucleosis; targets B cells (WBC;antibodies)

• Latent in B cells

Cytomegalovirus

• Location: Nervous System

• Common; up to 80%

• Causes cytomegalic inclusion disease in newborns

• Dangerous for immunocompromised and transplant patients

Rhinovirus

• Location: Respiratory System

• Most common cause of common cold

• Many strains make vaccination reject

Influenza

• Location: Respiratory System

• Treatment: Annual vaccine

• Antigenic drift: small mutations; antigenic shift: major genetic reassortment

• Bird flu concern

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

• Location: Respiratory System

• Spreads via: Zoonotic, transmitted from bats

• Coronavirus with high mortality

Respiratory Syncytial Virus

• Location: Respiratory System

• Treatment: Vaccine

• Major cause of lower respiratory infections in infants

• Causes cell fusion

Mumps

• Location: Digestive System

• Treatment: MMR vaccine (Human-only)

• Complications: male sterility, meningitis, inflammation of reproductive organs

Rotavirus

• Location: Digestive System

• Treatment: Vaccine but can be deadly without rehydration therapy

• Common in infants

• Causes severe diarrhea

Norovirus

• Location: Digestive System

• Spreads via: fecal oral route & vomit aerosols (contagious)

• Leading cause of viral gastroenteritis

Hepatitis A (RNA virus)

• Location: Digestive System

• Treatment: Vaccine

• Spreads via: Fecal oral route

Hepatitis B (DNA virus)

• Location: Digestive System

• Treatment: Vaccine

• Spreads via: blood and sexual contact

• Leads to liver cancer

Hepatitis C (RNA virus)

• Location: Digestive System

• Treatment: no vaccine; chronic in some

• Spreads via: mainly blood

• Liver cirrhosis and cancer