The adaptive and innate mechanisms by which the immune system recognizes, neutralizes and eliminates viruses, and develops memory and protection against future infections.
Introduction to Virology: Introduction to viruses and basic knowledge about their classification, structure, and replication cycle.
Viral Pathogenesis: How viruses cause diseases in humans and animals, and the different modes of viral transmission.
Innate Immune System: A system of immune defenses that are present in all organisms and that help defend against viral infections at the early stages.
Adaptive Immune System: The body's acquired immunity against specific viruses through antibodies, immune cells, and other mechanisms.
B Cells and Antibodies: The role of B cells and their production of antibodies in viral immunity.
T cells and Cell-mediated Immunity: The role of T cells and their response to viral infections.
Cytokines and Chemokines: The signaling molecules that coordinate the immune response during viral infections.
Immune Evasion Strategies: How viruses evade the immune system and strategies of immune evasion.
Host-Pathogen Interactions: The interaction between viruses and their host cells that contribute to disease.
Vaccines: The different types of vaccines and how they work to induce protective immunity against specific viruses.
Antiviral Therapies: The different types of antiviral drugs and how they target viral replication.
Epidemiology: The study of the patterns and causes of viral infections, transmission, and spread.
Emerging Viruses: The detection, identification, and control of emerging viral infections.
Virus-host Co-evolution: The interplay between viruses and their host cells that drives viral evolution.
Immunodeficiency and Viral Infections: The effect of immunodeficiency on susceptibility to viral infections and the management of viral infections in immunocompromised individuals.
Viral Pathogenesis in Animals: How viruses cause diseases in animals and the control and prevention of viral infections in animals.
Zoonotic Viral Infections: The study of viruses that are transmitted from animals to humans.
Emerging Treatments and Research: The latest updates on viral immunity research, including the development of new antiviral drugs and vaccines.
Diagnosis and Detection: The methods and techniques used to detect and diagnose viral infections in clinical and research settings.
Global Health and Public Policy: The impact of viral infections on global health and the policies and strategies designed to prevent, contain, and control viral infections.
Innate immunity: This refers to the body's natural defense mechanisms that are in place to detect and respond to invading viruses. This includes physical barriers (e.g. skin, mucus), as well as immune cells (e.g. macrophages, natural killer cells) that can identify and destroy virus-infected cells.
Adaptive immunity: This is a more specific type of immunity that develops after an initial exposure to a virus. When the body encounters a virus, immune cells called B cells and T cells work together to create specific antibodies that can recognize and neutralize the virus.
Humoral immunity: This refers to the part of the adaptive immune response that involves the production of antibodies by B cells. These antibodies can bind to viral particles and prevent them from infecting cells.
Cellular immunity: This is the part of the adaptive immune response that involves the activation of T cells. T cells can directly attack virus-infected cells, as well as release molecules that can recruit other immune cells to the site of infection.
Natural immunity: This refers to immunity that is obtained naturally, either through exposure to a virus or through inheritance of immune factors from parents.
Artificial immunity: This refers to immunity that is acquired through deliberate means, such as vaccination. Vaccines contain weakened or inactivated viruses or pieces of viral proteins, which stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies and create immunity against the virus.
Passive immunity: This refers to immunity that is acquired through the transfer of pre-formed antibodies from another source, such as through breastfeeding or an injection of immunoglobulins. This type of immunity is temporary and fades over time as the transferred antibodies are eliminated from the body.
Herd immunity: This is a form of indirect protection that occurs when a large proportion of a population becomes immune to a virus, either through natural infection or vaccination. Herd immunity can help protect individuals who are not immune, as the virus has fewer opportunities to spread within the community.