- "Viral pathogenesis is the study of the process and mechanisms by which viruses cause diseases in their target hosts, often at the cellular or molecular level."
The cause-effect relationship between virus infection and the damage, dysfunction or disease in the infected host, at both the individual and population levels.
Viral replication cycle: This topic covers how viruses enter host cells, replicate, and exit the host cell, enabling further infection.
Viral structure: Understanding the components of viruses is crucial to understanding how they enter host cells and cause disease.
Host-virus interactions: How the host immune system is evaded, and viral immune evasion strategies.
Viral co-infections: Studies on the effect of concurrent viral infections on immune responses, disease severity and virulence.
Transmission: How viruses are transmitted from one host to another, and the role of vectors and environmental factors in viral spread.
Evolution: Viral adaptive responses to pressures that might include host resistance, antivirals, and adaptation to new hosts or changes in environmental circumstances.
Zoonotic diseases: Viral pathogens that primarily exist in animals, but can be contracted to humans, and the study of diseases that cross species barriers.
Diagnosis: Testing methods used to identify viral infections such as serological, molecular and biopsy testing.
Treatment: Critical treatment measures such as antiviral treatments and their current status relative to recent outbreaks.
Epidemiology: Overall distribution of viral diseases in populations, their incidence, and risk mitigation strategies.
Acute Infection: An acute viral infection usually affects a host's immune system and can produce symptoms that appear rapidly and often get worse quickly.
Persistent Infection: A persistent virus infection can last for a prolonged period, and the disease can remain inactive after the initial symptoms disappear.
Latent Infection: A latent viral infection refers to a virus that remains in the host's body without showing symptoms for a long period.
Chronic Infection: A chronic viral infection has a long-term manifestation where the symptoms are mild and progress over time.
Oncogenic Transformation: An oncoviral infection is caused by certain viruses that convert infected cells into cancerous cells, leading to the development of tumors.
Immune System Evasion: Some viruses have the ability to hide from the host's immune system by altering the immune system's response to the virus.
Host-directed and Viral-induced Pathology: In some cases, a host-directed pathology or a viral-induced pathology can appear.
Transmission: Pathogenesis can occur through viral transmission or the transmission of a virus from one host to another.
Virulence: The degree of virulence of the virus and the host's overall health and immune response can also affect the pathogenesis of viral infections.
- "Viral disease is the sum of the effects of viral replication on the host and the host's subsequent immune response against the virus."
- "Viruses are able to initiate infection, disperse throughout the body, and replicate due to specific virulence factors."
- "Some of these factors include virulence characteristics of the virus that is infecting."
- "In order to cause disease, the virus must also overcome several inhibitory effects present in the host. Some of the inhibitory effects include distance, physical barriers, and host defenses."
- "These inhibitory effects may differ among individuals due to the inhibitory effects being genetically controlled."
- "Viral pathogenesis is affected by various factors: (1) transmission, entry and spread within the host, (2) tropism, (3) virus virulence and disease mechanisms, (4) host factors and host defense."
- "Transmission plays a role in viral pathogenesis."
- "Entry and spread within the host are important aspects of viral pathogenesis."
- "Tropism is one of the key aspects affecting viral pathogenesis."
- "Virus virulence and disease mechanisms influence viral pathogenesis."
- "Host factors and host defense play a role in viral pathogenesis."
- "Viral pathogenesis is the study of the process and mechanisms by which viruses cause diseases in their target hosts, often at the cellular or molecular level."
- "Some of these factors [affecting pathogenesis] include virulence characteristics of the virus that is infecting."
- "In order to cause disease, the virus must also overcome several inhibitory effects present in the host. Some of the inhibitory effects include distance, physical barriers, and host defenses."
- "Viral disease is the sum of the effects of viral replication on the host and the host's subsequent immune response against the virus."
- "These inhibitory effects may differ among individuals due to the inhibitory effects being genetically controlled."
- "Viruses are able to initiate infection, disperse throughout the body, and replicate due to specific virulence factors."
- "Transmission, entry, and spread within the host are all factors affecting viral pathogenesis."
- "Viral disease is the sum of the effects of viral replication on the host and the host's subsequent immune response against the virus."