Viral Diseases

 Viral disease varies in severity, depending on virulence of

the virus and age, health, and habitat of the human host.
 Lifelong immunity develops to some but not all viral agents.

 Virus infection can be diagnosed by:

overt symptoms
cultures
antigen detection

nucleic acid probes.

Viral Diseases

 Most DNA and some RNA viruses can cause chronic

infection and combine with the host genome.
 They also have the potential to activate host oncogenes.
 DNA viruses:

1. Pox Virus: Enveloped DNA viruses, and are the largest

viruses of all (230* 270 nm), when suitably stained can just be

seen with an ordinary light microscope.

 The virion enters the cells either by endocytosis or by a fusion

event, and release from the cells by budding.

Pox viruses:
 Poxviruses produce eruptive skin pustules called pox, which

when healed had depressed scars (pock markers) .

 Among the best known poxviruses are:

 Variola, the agent of small pox

 Vaccinia used in vaccination.

 The incubation period of variola was 12 days.

 Exposure to small pox usually occurred through inhalation

of droplets or skin crust.

Pox viruses:
 Infection was associated with fever, malaise, and later a rash that

began in the pharynx, spread to the face and progressed to the

extremities.

 Prevention: There was an effective vaccine.

Pox viruses:
Lab. Diagnosis: Small pox was usually diagnosed by:

 Clinical sign and symptoms.

 Scanning stained smears of vesicular fluid.

 Serology: Antibody assay can be used to confirm a

diagnosis and can be detected by ELISA or

immunofluorescence test.
 DNA viruses:

2. Herpes viruses: These are Enveloped DNA viruses.

 large viruses, with dss DNA with icosohedral symmetry and have

162 capsomers.

 Herpes viruses enter the cell by fusion with the cell membrane.

 The envelope is derived from the nuclear membrane of the

infected cells and contains viral glycoprotein spikes

 Some virion is naked.

2. Herpes viruses:
 There are seven herpes viruses that commonly infect humans:

A. herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2

B. Varicella- Zoster virus.

C. Cytomegaloviruses.

D. Epstein- Barr virus.

E. Human herpes viruses 6 and 7

 Herpes viruses establish latent infection, persist indefinitely

in the infected hosts and are frequently reactivated in

immunosuppressed hosts.
A. Herpes Simplex virus: Type 1 and 2 infect epithelial cells and

established latent infections in neurons. Type 1 is classically associated

with oropharyngeal lesions and cause recurrent attacks of fever blister.

 Type 2 primarily infect the genital mucosa and is mainly responsible for

genital herpes.

 Both viruses also cause neurologic disease, and both of them can cause

neonatal infections which are often severe.

Genital Herpes
Oropharyngial lesions
A. Herpes Simplex virus:

Laboratory diagnosis:
1- Inoculations of tissue cultures.
2- Serology: Abs appear in 4-7 days after infection.
Treatment and Prevention: A cyclovir is effective for herpes virus
and experimental vaccines of various types are developed.
B. Varicella- Zoster virus:
i. Varicella (Chickenpox): Primary infection with varicella zoster

virus (VZV) causes chickenpox, which is a mild highly

infectious disease of children characterized clinically by a

vesicular eruption of the skin and mucous membrane.

B. Varicella- Zoster virus:

ii. Herpes Zoster (HZ) which is also known as shingles, is the

result of reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus and occurs

more frequently in older adults and immunocompromised

individuals.

Zoster disease of adult that is characterised by an inflammatory

reaction of the posterior nerve roots and ganglia accompanied by

crops of vesicles over the skin.

B. Varicella- Zoster virus:

Lab. Diagnosis:

1- Immunofluorescence staining.

2- Serology: by ELISA.

Treatment: A cyclovir and Vidarabine.

Hepatitis viruses:
 Viral Hepatitis is a systemic disease, primarily involving the liver,

caused by one of the following viruses: hepatitis A virus (HAV),

HBV, HCV, and HEV causing viral hepatitis in children and adults.
Hepatitis viruses:
 Hepatitis A virus (HAV), classified as hepatovirus, is a small, non-

enveloped symmetrical +ssRNA virus.

 Hepatitis B virus (HBV), a member of the hepadnavirus group,

enveloped double-stranded DNA viruses.

 Hepatitis C virus (HCV), is an enveloped single-stranded RNA

virus.

 Hepatitis E virus (HEV), is another non-enveloped, single-

stranded RNA virus.

Hepatitis viruses:
 Hepatitis virus produces acute inflammation of the liver.

 Clinical illness characterized by similar symptoms that are fever,

gastrointestinal symptoms, jaundice, dark urine, yellowish in skin and eyes,

and diarrhoea.

 The high risk groups include babies, children and immunocompromised

patients.

 Acute and chronic infection include, in the case of hepatitis B, C and D,

chronic active hepatitis and cirrhosis.

 Hepatocellular carcinoma which is one of the ten most common cancers

worldwide, is closely associated with hepatitis B, and hepatitis C virus.

Hepatitis viruses:
 Mode of HBV and HCV transmission of virus are:

i. Blood transfusion or blood products.

ii. Contaminated syringes.

iii. Sexual intercourse (viruses secreted in genital secretions also virus

secrete in saliva).

iv. Pregnant women can infects fetus and the baby will be carried the

virus.

** HAV and HEV are transmitted by Fecal contamination of food.

Adenoviruses:
 Adenoviruses: are Non enveloped DNA viruses, about 53 strains
are associated with human infection.

 They are spread from person to person by means of respiratory and

ocular secretions.

 The patient infected with adenovirus is typically feverish, with acute

rhinitis, cough, and inflammation of the pharynx, enlarged cervical
lymph nodes and a macular rash. Also, cause keratoconjunctivitis.
Papova viruses: (Papilloma virus) :
 They are Non- Enveloped DNA virus.

 A papilloma is a benign, squamous epithelial growth, Painless,

elevated, rough growths on the fingers and occasionally on other

body parts commonly referred to as a wart, or verruca, and caused

by one of 40 different strains of human papilloma virus (HPV).

 Warts are transmissible through direct contact with a wart or

contaminated fomites,