Viral disease

Viral disease
Other namesViral infection
Types of viral diseases
SpecialtyInfectious disease
CausesVirus
MedicationAntiviral drugs

A viral disease (or viral infection) occurs when an organism's body is invaded by pathogenic viruses, and infectious virus particles (virions) attach to and enter susceptible cells. Virosis is a disease or infection caused by a virus.

Examples include the common cold, gastroenteritis, COVID-19, the flu, and rabies.

Structural characteristics

Virions of some of the most common human viruses with their relative size. Nucleic acids are not to scale. SARS stands for SARS-CoV-1 or COVID-19, variola viruses for smallpox.

Basic structural characteristics, such as genome type, virion shape and replication site, generally share the same features among virus species within the same family.[citation needed]

Pragmatic rules

Human-infecting virus families offer rules that may assist physicians and medical microbiologists/virologists.[citation needed]

As a general rule, DNA viruses replicate within the cell nucleus while RNA viruses replicate within the cytoplasm. Exceptions are known to this rule: poxviruses replicate within the cytoplasm and orthomyxoviruses and hepatitis D virus (RNA viruses) replicate within the nucleus.[citation needed]

Baltimore group

This group of analysts defined multiple categories of virus. Groups:[citation needed]

Clinically important virus families and species with characteristics
Family Baltimore group Important species Envelopment
Adenoviridae I Adenovirus N
Herpesviridae I Herpes simplex, type 1, Herpes simplex, type 2, Varicella-zoster virus, Epstein–Barr virus, Human cytomegalovirus, Human herpesvirus, type 8 Y
Papillomaviridae I Human papillomavirus N
Polyomaviridae I BK virus, JC virus N
Poxviridae I smallpox virus,monkeypox virus Y
Parvoviridae II Parvovirus B19 N
Reoviridae III Rotavirus, Orbivirus, Coltivirus, Banna virus N
Astroviridae IV Human astrovirus N
Caliciviridae IV Norwalk virus N
Coronaviridae IV Human coronavirus 229E, Human coronavirus NL63, Human coronavirus OC43, Human coronavirus HKU1, Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Y
Flaviviridae IV yellow fever virus, dengue virus, West Nile virus,, Japanese encephalitis virus,Saint Louis encephalitis virus,TBE virus, Zika virus Y
Hepaciviridae IV Hepatitis C virus Y
Hepeviridae IV Hepatitis E virus N
Matonaviridae IV Rubella virus Y
Picornaviridae IV coxsackievirus,echovirus,hepatitis A virus,poliovirus,rhinovirus N
Arenaviridae V Lassa virus Y
Bunyaviridae V Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, Hantaan virus,Rift Valley fever virus Y
Filoviridae V Ebola virus, Marburg virus Y
Orthomyxoviridae V Influenza virus Y
Paramyxoviridae V Hendra virus,Measles virus,Mumps virus,Nipah virus,Parainfluenza virus Y
Pneumoviridae V Respiratory syncytial virus,human metapneumovirus Y
Rhabdoviridae V Rabies virus Y
Kolmioviridae V Hepatitis D virus Y
Retroviridae VI HIV,HTLV-1,HTLV-2 Y
Hepadnaviridae VII Hepatitis B virus Y

Clinical characteristics

The clinical characteristics of viruses may differ substantially among species within the same family:

Type Family Transmission Diseases Treatment Prevention
Adenovirus Adenoviridae
  • droplet contact
  • fecal-oral
  • venereal
  • direct eye contact
None
  • Adenovirus vaccine
  • hand washing
  • covering mouth when coughing or sneezing
  • avoiding close contact with the sick
Coxsackievirus Picornaviridae
  • fecal-oral
  • respiratory droplet contact
None
  • hand washing
  • covering mouth when coughing/sneezing
  • avoiding contaminated food/water
  • improved sanitation
Cytomegalovirus Herpesviridae
  • hand washing
  • avoid sharing food and drinks with others
  • safe sex
Epstein–Barr virus Herpesviridae
  • saliva
None
  • avoiding close contact with the sick
Hepatitis A virus Picornaviridae
  • fecal-oral
Immunoglobulin (post-exposure prophylaxis)
Hepatitis B virus Hepadnaviridae

Vertical and sexual

  • Hepatitis B vaccine
  • immunoglobulin (perinatal and post-exposure prophylaxis)
  • avoiding shared needles/syringes
  • safe sex
Hepatitis C virus Hepaciviridae
  • blood
  • sexual contact
  • avoiding shared needles/syringes
  • safe sex
Herpes simplex virus, type 1 Herpesviridae
  • direct contact
  • saliva
  • avoiding close contact with lesions
  • safe sex
Herpes simplex virus, type 2 Herpesviridae
  • sexual contact
  • vertical transmission
  • avoiding close contact with lesions
  • safe sex
HIV Retroviridae HAART, such as protease inhibitors and reverse-transcriptase inhibitors
  • zidovudine (perinatally)
  • blood product screening
  • safe sex
  • avoiding shared needles/syringes
Human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) Coronaviridae
Human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63) Coronaviridae
  • droplet contact
Human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) Coronaviridae
Human coronavirus HKU1 (HCoV-HKU1) Coronaviridae
Human herpesvirus, type 8 Herpesviridae
  • Saliva
  • Sexual
many in evaluation-stage
  • avoid close contact with lesions
  • safe sex
Human papillomavirus Papillomaviridae
  • HPV vaccine
  • avoiding close contact with lesions
  • safe sex
Influenza virus Orthomyxoviridae
  • droplet contact
Measles virus Paramyxoviridae
  • droplet contact
None
  • MMR vaccine
  • quarantining the sick
  • avoiding contact with the sick
Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV) Coronaviridae
  • close human contact
Mumps virus Paramyxoviridae
  • droplet contact
None
Parainfluenza virus Paramyxoviridae
  • droplet contact
None
  • hand washing
  • covering mouth when coughing/sneezing
Poliovirus Picornaviridae
  • fecal-oral
None
  • Polio vaccine
  • avoiding contaminated food and water
  • improved sanitation
Rabies virus Rhabdoviridae
  • animal bite
  • droplet contact
Post-exposure prophylaxis
Respiratory syncytial virus Pneumoviridae
  • droplet contact
  • hand to mouth
(ribavirin)
  • hand washing
  • avoiding close contact with the sick
  • palivizumab in high risk individuals
  • covering mouth when coughing/sneezing
Rubella virus Togaviridae
  • Respiratory droplet contact
None
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) Coronaviridae
  • droplet contact
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Coronaviridae
  • droplet contact
Varicella-zoster virus Herpesviridae
  • droplet contact
  • direct contact

Varicella:

Zoster:

Varicella:

Zoster:

  • vaccine
  • varicella-zoster immunoglobulin

See also