LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Viral: Infections
built 795 days ago
Drugs that combat viral infections are called antiviral drugs. Many antiviral drugs work by interfering with replication of viruses. Most drugs used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (see Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection: Treatment) work this way. Because viruses are tiny and replicate inside cells using the cells' own metabolic functions, there are only a limited number of metabolic functions that antiviral drugs can target. In contrast, bacteria are relatively large organisms, commonly reproduce by themselves outside of cells, and have many metabolic functions that antibacterial drugs (antibiotics) can target. Therefore, antiviral drugs are much more difficult to develop than antibacterial drugs.
Source:
Additionally, the replication machinery of the virus is so inaccurate that it generates new mutants for virtually every virion produced in an infected individual... creating a myriad of new and unique viral particles every day [3]. A high number of recombination events occurring during the replication further compounds the genetic heterogeneity. It is this genetic diversity that also accounts for the distinct subtypes or clades of HIV occurring in geographically distinct regions of the globe: for example, clade B viruses cause AIDS epidemic predominantly in the Western Hemisphere, clade C viruses in the sub-Saharan Africa and clade B, C and E in Asian countries. The extraordinary genetic variations create a heterogeneous virus population, often termed as "swarm" or "quasi-species" in an infected individual, which continually supplies new antigenic variants against which no immune response has yet been developed. The mutant viruses keep continually damaging or killing the cells of the immune system (mainly CD4+ lymphocytes) and, thus progressively destroy the body's ability to fight opportunistic infections and certain cancers resulting in AIDS and finally death in 7 to 10 years.
Source:
Because viral meningitis has symptoms in common with bacterial meningitis, which is life-threatening, it's important to get an immediate diagnosis. Your doctor will evaluate your or your child's symptoms, looking for specific signs such as the combination of fever, headache, and stiff neck. To confirm the diagnosis, your doctor will need to do a lumbar puncture... known as a spinal tap, to withdraw some cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and check for a viral infection. Before the fluid is withdrawn, an area in the lower back is numbed with a local anesthetic. Then, a long, hollow needle is inserted into the spinal canal to withdraw the fluid. If the symptoms are caused by a virus, the fluid will have a high number of white blood cells.
Source:
The first symptoms of meningitis may surface several days after a child has had a cold and runny nose, diarrhea and vomiting, or other signs of a bacterial or viral infection. Some of the more common symptoms of meningitis include fever, lethargy (decreased consciousness), or irritability. Older children may complain of a headache, photophobia (eye sensitivity to light), and a stiff neck, which is often noted by the doctor during a physical exam.
Source:
Prevention is the best way to avoid viral gastroenteritis by following the tips listed below. No vaccine is available for viral gastroenteritis with the exception of a newly released rotavirus vaccine called Rotateq. The oral vaccine for infants aged 6 to 32 weeks was approved in February 2006 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Otherwise, you can avoid infection by …
Source:
The main symptoms of viral gastroenteritis are watery diarrhea and vomiting. The affected person may ... have headache, fever, and abdominal cramps ("stomach ache"). In general, the symptoms begin 1 to 2 days following infection with a virus that causes gastroenteritis and may last for 1 to 10 days, depending on which virus causes the illness.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Infections