Viruses are genetic elements that cannot replicate independently of a living host cell. Host cells provide energy and metabolic intermediates needed for the replication and synthesis of viral...
Tag: Structure of Virus
SARS-CoV-2 is a novel virus that first appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. It is a member of the Coronaviridae family, so named for their “crown-like” appearance. It is a large family of...
Japanese Encephalitis (JE) Virus: Life Cycle, Pathogenesis, Diagnosis
Fig: Geographic distribution of Japanese encephalitis virus Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus was initially isolated in Japan in 1935. It is a leading cause of vaccine-preventable encephalitis...
The name measles is derived from the Latin, misellus, meaning miserable. Measles (also called Rubeola-(from rubeolus, Latin for reddish) ) is usually a disease of childhood (aged 3-10 years) and is...
Influenza virus has two ways to change — one slow and one fast. The slow change is called “drift” — the virus gradually accumulates individual mutations until its surface...
After an epidemic, shouldn't everyone be immune to the virus? Why is influenza able to come back again and again? The answer lies in the virus’s genetic structure and high mutation rate....