Symptoms of the viral illness occur as a result of cell damage, tissue destruction, and the associated immune response.Ĭertain viruses - like the ones that cause chickenpox and cold sores - may be inactive or “latent” after the initial infection. Either way, new virus particles are then free to infect other cells. In other cases, virus particles "bud" off the host cell over a period of time before killing the host cell. With an active viral infection, a virus makes copies of itself and bursts the host cell (killing it) to set the newly-formed virus particles free. Viruses infect a host by introducing their genetic material into the cells and hijacking the cell's internal machinery to make more virus particles. Viruses cannot reproduce without the assistance of a host. Research reveals that viruses are implicated in many cancers as well.Ī viral infection is a proliferation of a harmful virus inside your body. They can also affect the liver, brain, and skin. ![]() Viruses can affect many areas in the body, including the reproductive, respiratory, and gastrointestinal systems. When most people hear the word "virus," they think of disease-causing (pathogenic) viruses such as the common cold, influenza, chickenpox, human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV), SARS-CoV-2 and others. ![]() In biomedical research, scientists use viruses to insert new genes into cells. Viruses also participate in the process of evolution by transferring genes among different species. ![]() For example, some viruses protect the host against other infections. Viruses get a bad rap, but they also perform many important functions for humans, plants, animals, and the environment. Viruses depend on the organisms they infect (hosts) for their very survival. They are incapable of reproducing on their own. Some viruses also have a fatty "envelope" covering. Viruses are small particles of genetic material (either DNA or RNA) that are surrounded by a protein coat.
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