Virus
A virus is defined as any of a various number of submicroscopic parasites that can infect any animal, plant or bacteria and often lead to very serious or even deadly diseases. A virus consists of a core of RNA or DNA, generally surrounded by a protein, lipid or glycoprotein coat, or some combination of the three. No virus can replicate without the help of a host cell, and though they can be spread, viruses lack the ability of self-reproduction and are not always considered to be living organisms in the regular sense.Some of the most common or best known viruses include the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is the virus that causes AIDS, the herpes simplex virus, which causes cold sores, smallpox, multiple sclerosis, and the human papilloma virus, now believed to be a leading cause of cervical cancer in adult women. The common human cold is also caused by a virus.Since a great deal of mystery still surrounds the origins of most modern viruses, ways to cure these viruses and the diseases they cause are still in the very early stages of development.
Explore Viruses, Infections & Disease
Latest about Viruses, Infections & Disease
Typhus from fleas is on the rise in LA County, CDC warns
By Nicoletta Lanese published
Flea-spread typhus grew more common in L.A. County between 2010 and 2022, a new report suggests.
Weird 'gut-eye axis' links the retina and intestines, and may help explain glaucoma
By Stephanie Pappas published
A type of immune cell that travels from the gut to the eyeballs may help to explain why some people with glaucoma continue to lose their vision after treatment.
In rare case, man develops 'flesh-eating' bacterial infection on both legs, but 4 days apart
By Kiley Price published
"Flesh-eating" bacteria normally spread rapidly throughout the body. In this case, it took four days for the infection to reach both of a man's legs.
Can picking your nose raise the risk of catching COVID-19? The answer may (not) shock you
By Emily Cooke published
Public health measures were ramped up during the pandemic, but a new study in health care workers suggests one disease-spreading habit may have been overlooked.
Teen's year-long case of depression and seizures caused by brain-injuring autoimmune disease
By Emily Cooke published
After she'd spent a year experiencing unusual mood and behavioral symptoms, doctors discovered the teen's brain was being attacked by her own cells.
Mysterious case of the 'Geneva patient,' the latest person in long-term remission from HIV, raises questions
By Nicoletta Lanese published
A man entered long-term remission from HIV after a stem cell transplant, but unlike in previous, similar cases, the patient's transplant donor did not carry an HIV-resistant gene variant.
Salmonella outbreak in 4 states linked to ground beef, CDC warns
By Emily Cooke published
The CDC is working to identify the source of ground beef believed to be responsible for the Salmonella outbreak.
'Excess deaths' tied to COVID have plummeted in America — what does that mean?
By Kiley Price published
Data shows that America's excess death rates have mostly returned to pre-pandemic levels, reflecting the end of the public health crisis, experts say.
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