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
Butterfly disease: A disorder that makes skin as delicate as butterfly wings
"Butterfly disease" is a potentially fatal, inherited disorder that causes patients to blister very easily.
39 sickened, 15 hospitalized in E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots
U.S. health officials are investigating an outbreak of E. coli tied to now-recalled organic whole bagged carrots and baby carrots from Grimmway Farms.
'Dengue is coming': Climate-fueled rise in cases will affect the US, scientists warn
New research suggests that climate change is currently driving a surge in global dengue infections and that case rates could increase by 60% by 2050.
Severe COVID-19 may shrink cancer tumors, early data suggest
Immune cells produced during severe COVID-19 infection may shrink tumors. The unexpected mechanism offers a new therapeutic possibility for advanced and treatment-resistant cancers.
Teen sickened with Canada's first human case of bird flu is in critical condition — and the source remains a mystery
A teenager in Canada is critically ill with the country's first human case of H5N1 bird flu. Health officials aren't sure how the youth was exposed.
Necrotizing fasciitis: The 'flesh-eating' infection that bores holes in the body
Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare, life-threatening illness caused by bacteria that aggressively attack the soft tissue of the body.
Canada reports 1st local case of H5 bird flu
A teen in Canada may be the first person to catch an H5 bird flu virus within the country. Health officials are now working to confirm the diagnosis.
H5N1 bird flu is evolving to better infect mammals, CDC study suggests
Rising H5N1 bird flu cases in the U.S. prompted the CDC to study the virus in ferrets, revealing it may have the potential to spread and cause severe symptoms in other mammals.
