Virology Public Health

Vocabulary flashcards about Virology based on lecture notes.

Virology

The scientific discipline concerned with the study of the biology of viruses and viral diseases.

Viruses

Agents smaller than any known bacteria that cause diseases in organisms.

Capsid

The protein coat surrounding the nucleic acid core of a virus.

Obligate Intracellular Parasites

Viruses that are only able to reproduce inside a host cell.

Viroids

Small circular RNA molecules that infect plants and lack protein capsids.

Prions

Infectious particles of proteins that cause some diseases in animals and do not contain nucleic acids.

Mad Cow Disease

A disease caused by prions, affecting cattle.

Scrapie

A disease caused by prions, affecting sheep and goats.

Kuru

A disease caused by prions, affecting humans and associated with cannibalism.

Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease

A rare, degenerative, fatal brain disorder caused by prions.

Papovaviridae

A family of DNA viruses, including Human Papilloma.

Parvoviridae

A family of DNA viruses.

Hepadnaviridae

A family of DNA viruses, including Hepatitis B.

Poxviridae

A family of DNA viruses, including Variola, which causes smallpox.

Smallpox

A highly contagious disease caused by Variola virus.

Vaccinia

A large, complex, enveloped virus, also called Cowpox, and a constituent of smallpox vaccine.

Herpesviridae

A family of DNA viruses, including Herpes Simplex, Varicella Zoster, and Epstein-Barr.

Herpes Simplex

Characterized by vesicles and transmitted by saliva or direct contact (HSV-1) or sexually (HSV-2).

Varicella Zoster

Causative agent of chickenpox and shingles.

Epstein-Barr

Also known as Human Herpes Virus, transmitted by kissing, sharing food, or coughing.

Adenovirus

Affects the upper and lower respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and genitourinary tract.

Rotavirus

A cause of gastroenteritis, transmitted via the fecal-oral route.

Colorado Tick Fever

A disease transmitted by the bite of an infected tick.

Flaviviridae

Transmitted by mosquito bite and includes West Nile, Dengue, Yellow Fever, Hepatitis C, and Zika Virus.

Dengue

Transmitted by mosquito bite and causes fever, headache, joint and muscle pain, and rash.

Zika Virus

Spread by mosquito bites and can cause birth defects in infants.

Chikungunya

Transmitted by mosquito bite and causes fever, rash, headache, and joint pain.

Retroviridae

Includes HIV, transmitted by transfer of body fluids, transplacental, or needlestick.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

A virus that attacks the immune system, leading to AIDS.

Coronaviridae

Spread by aerosols and large droplets, causing respiratory symptoms and potentially acute respiratory distress syndrome.

SARS-CoV-2

Strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Norwalk Virus

The most common cause of non-bacterial diarrhea in adults.

Poliovirus

Transmitted via the fecal-oral route and causes poliomyelitis.

Habitat of Poliovirus

Infected human

Paramyxoviridae

Includes Parainfluenza, Measles, and Mumps.

Filoviridae

Includes Marburg and Ebola, transmitted through close contact to secretions of wild animals and human-to-human spread.

Habitat of Ebola virus

Wild animals

Orthomyxoviridae

Includes Influenza A, B, and C, transmitted via airborne spread and direct contact.

Habitat of Influenza A

Infected humans, birds & pigs

Rhabdoviridae

Transmitted through bite, saliva or airborne route, causing acute encephalomyelitis of mammals.

Habitat of Rabies Virus

Animals (Dogs, Foxes, Coyotes, Wolves, Raccoons, Bats)

Arenaviridae

Transmitted via inhalation or ingestion from urine and droppings of rodents.

Disease of Arenaviridae

Neurological and Encephalitis

Transmission of Bunyaviridae

transmitted by Mosquito, tick, or flea bite

Habitat of Bunyaviridae

Rodents

Transmission of Hantavirus

Inhalation of aerosols contaminated with infected urine

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome

interstitial pulmonary edema, respiratory failure, and death within days

Vector of La Crosse Virus

Day-biting Aedes triseriatus

suspension of live attenuated or killed microorganisms or fractions thereof administered to induce immunity and prevent infectious disease.

Vaccine

modified bacterial toxin that has been rendered, nontoxic but retains the ability to stimulate the formation of antitoxin

Toxoid

sterile solution containing antibody from human blood. It is a percentage protein fraction obtained by fractionation of large pools of blood plasma.

Immunoglobulin