Viral Infection: Causes, Symptoms, Tests & Treatment - Cleveland Clinic
WEBViral infections are illnesses you get from tiny organisms that use your cells to make more copies of themselves (viruses). Viral infections commonly cause respiratory and digestive illnesses, but viruses can also infect most other parts of your body.
Viral Infection | Viral Infection Symptoms | MedlinePlus
WEBNov 8, 2023 · What are viruses? Viruses are very tiny germs. They are made of genetic material (either DNA or RNA) inside of a protein coating. There are a huge number of viruses on earth. Only a small number of them can infect humans. Those viruses can infect our cells, which may cause disease.
Overview of Viral Infections - The Merck Manuals
WEBA viral infection is a sickness caused by a virus. Viruses can get into your body through breathing air (for example, the virus that causes COVID-19), having sex, touching something with viruses on it, or being bitten by a bug such as a mosquito or tick.
Are Viral Infections Contagious? - Verywell Health
WEBAug 23, 2023 · Viral infections occur when a virus enters the body and successfully takes over a host cell to begin the process of replicating. This can occur at the site of entry, also known as a localized infection, or the virus can spread throughout the body, causing a systemic infection. Contagious.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Symptoms and causes
WEBMar 27, 2024 · COVID-19, also called coronavirus disease 2019, is an illness caused by a virus. The virus is called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or more commonly, SARS-CoV-2. It started spreading at the end of 2019 and became a pandemic disease in 2020. Coronavirus Enlarge image.
Overview of Viral Infections - Infections - Merck Manual …
WEBA virus is a small infectious organism—much smaller than a fungus or bacterium—that must invade a living cell to reproduce (replicate). The virus attaches to a cell (called the host cell), enters the cell, and releases its DNA or RNA inside the cell.
Viruses: Definition, Types, Characteristics & Facts - Cleveland Clinic
WEBViruses are small germs (pathogens) that can infect you and make you sick. They can infect humans, plants, animals, bacteria and fungi. Each one infects only specific types of hosts.
Viruses: What They Are, Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention
WEBFeb 17, 2023 · Viruses infect humans, animals, plants, bacteria, amoeba, and fungi. If there’s a living thing, there’s probably a virus that infects it. The living thing infected by the virus is called its host. Because viruses rely on other living things to make new viruses, don’t make their energy, and don’t grow, they are not typically thought to be alive.
Intro to viruses (article) | Viruses | Khan Academy
WEBKey points: A virus is an infectious particle that reproduces by "commandeering" a host cell and using its machinery to make more viruses. A virus is made up of a DNA or RNA genome inside a protein shell called a capsid. Some viruses have an external membrane envelope. Viruses are very diverse.
Overview of Viruses - Infectious Diseases - Merck Manual …
WEBThe consequences of viral infection vary considerably. Many infections cause acute illness after a brief incubation period, but some are asymptomatic or cause minor symptoms that may not be recognized. Many viral infections are cleared by the immune system, but some remain in a latent state, and some cause chronic disease.
Skip to content