Articles of category "Viral infectious diseases"

Viruses represent one of the major problems to the human health. They are quick to travel and therefore can rapidly be distributed around the world. Viruses are the microorganisms causing a human viral disease. A retrovirus (or HIV) causes AIDS. Epstein-Barr virus and human papillomavirus cause particular forms of cancer. Other viruses that infect humans are able to cause common cold, measles, chickenpox or varicella, smallpox, mumps and other diseases.

Viruses are considered to be bundles of genetic material carried in the so-called `viral coat` (or capsid) made up of protein bits known as capsomeres. There are lots of different viruses which have various shapes, forms and functions. Some of them have an envelope (additional layer around the mentioned coat). But still each of them is just a microscopic parasite not seen with a naked eye.