A virus is defined as any of a various number of submicroscopic parasites that can infect any animal, plant or bacteria and often lead to very serious or even deadly diseases. A virus consists of a core of RNA or DNA, generally surrounded by a protein, lipid or glycoprotein coat, or some combination of the three. No virus can replicate without the help of a host cell, and though they can be spread, viruses lack the ability of self-reproduction and are not always considered to be living organisms in the regular sense.Some of the most common or best known viruses include the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is the virus that causes AIDS, the herpes simplex virus, which causes cold sores, smallpox, multiple sclerosis, and the human papilloma virus, now believed to be a leading cause of cervical cancer in adult women. The common human cold is also caused by a virus.Since a great deal of mystery still surrounds the origins of most modern viruses, ways to cure these viruses and the diseases they cause are still in the very early stages of development.
Latest about Viruses, Infections & Disease
Zika virus could potentially treat cancer, another early study hints
The Zika virus can target and eradicate human neuroblastoma tumors in a mouse model, a study shows. But how soon could such a treatment be used in people?
Vaccines slash risk of long COVID, studies show
Several new studies reveal that getting multiple COVID vaccine doses provides strong protection against lingering symptoms.
2nd tuberculosis outbreak linked to bone grafts in the US
Following two recent outbreaks, health officials have issued new guidance around how to screen donated tissues for tuberculosis.
Watch parasitic worms get pulled from man's abdomen after surprise discovery during routine surgery
When doctors peered into a man's abdomen during routine surgery, they didn't expect to find five living worms in there.
'It's neither a scientific nor a medically acceptable term': The real scoop on 'white lung pneumonia'
Separate outbreaks of pneumonia in children have cropped up in the U.S., China and Europe. Public health experts say the uptick in cases is not caused by a novel pathogen.
Infection with cat parasite Toxoplasma may drive 'inflammation aging' in older adults
A small study of older adults in Iberia suggests that infection with the common parasite Toxoplasma may be linked to 'inflammaging' and frailty in older adults.
Never-before-seen antibodies can target many flu viruses
Scientists identified a new class of antibodies in human blood that are able to target multiple strains of influenza A virus in the lab.
Why is pink eye so contagious?
The answer to this question depends on two factors: the microbes that cause the infection and the way they spread from person to person.
