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
'Extremely high' number of pneumonia cases strike kids in Ohio county
Common respiratory viruses and bacteria are likely behind the uptick in pediatric pneumonia in Warren County, Ohio.
Kids under 5 with HIV are dying at high rates. Here's why.
Among people on HIV meds, young children are the likeliest to die, often due to late diagnosis or treatment interruptions.
Climate change could upend fight against malaria, WHO warns
Malaria cases rose in 2022, in part due to climate change-related extreme weather events.
We could end the AIDS epidemic in less than a decade. Here's how.
Experts have laid out a road map to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. Is it possible?
Could CRISPR cure HIV someday?
An early-stage clinical trial raises hope for a new, single-dose HIV therapy that uses CRISPR, the famous gene-editing system.
US dogs suffer mystery respiratory illness: What we know so far
Across the country, pet dogs are falling sick with a flu-like illness, but scientists don't yet know what's causing it.
China's respiratory outbreak is 'expected' and not caused by new virus
Evidence suggests the outbreak is being caused by several known pathogens, the World Health Organization said.
Injection might help long COVID patients smell normally again
Early studies hint that a nerve block in the neck could help restore long COVID patients' normal sense of smell, but more research is needed.
