Abstract Smallpox is a highly infectious disease caused by the Variola virus. This report explores the taxonomic classification, “life cycle”, and mechanism of replication of this pathogen, as well as discusses the virulence and treatment options for an infected human host. This member of the Orthopoxvirus genus is extremely virulent, and has a fatality rate of nearly 30%. While this virus only attacks a human host, similar members of the Voxviridae family produce similar infections in animals.…
The Herpes Simplex Virus, more well known as herpes, is a viral disease that causes sores and blisters. It can be spread by the direct contact of an infected area to a non infected area or by the infected area touching an object and an unaffected area also touching that object (such as towels, fingers, ect). There are two types of the Herpes Simplex Virus; herpes type 1 (HSV1) and herpes type 2 (HSV2). Herpes type 1, or oral herpes, usually consists of blisters or sores around the mouth area. Herpes type 2, or genital herpes, can cause blisters or sores around the genitals and rectum.…
Henipavirus or the common name The Hendra Virus was first identified in Australia in 1994 at a racing stable in the Brisbane suburb of Hendra, The Virus originated in Malaysia. The disease is very similar to Nipah Virus which also originating from flying foxes in Malaysia. Signs and symptoms Signs in a human: Symptoms usually develop between 5 to 21 days after contact with an infected horse. These symptoms may include fever,cough,sore throat,headache and tiredness, these are the common symptoms of henra.…
The Norwalk Virus is the most common cause of epidemic nonbacterial gastroenteritis in the world. It is named for the city of Norwalk,Ohio in which the first confirmed outbreak occurred in 1968,infecting almost all the students and teachers of a nearby school. This epidemic, also known as Norovirus, is spherical shaped with hexagonal designs spanning all round its surface. When examined through a microscope,this virus can be in different colors ranging from red and orange to blue and green.…
Viruses are all around us in this world. They all vary in size, shape, genomic contents, and a variety of other characteristics. Some viruses are more deadly than other viruses and some viruses are very uncommon. There are some odd viruses that can cause a disease; be fought off by the immune system, but instead of dying retreat back into the host and lie dormant until another time. A common example of this type of virus is the Varicella Zoster virus.…
Introduction Norovirus infection causes inflammation in the stomach and intestines (gastroenteritis) and food poisoning. It is caused by exposure to a virus in a group of similar viruses called noroviruses. Norovirus spreads very easily from person to person (is very contagious). It often occurs in places where people are in close contact, such as schools, hospitals, and restaurants. You can get it from food, water, surfaces, or other people who have the virus (are contaminated).…
Evolution does not occur by itself. It uses thousands of organisms that twist together to form all the life on this planet we call home. In our world, nothing exists in isolation yet everything is weaved together to form a complex system of evolutionary changes. In isolation, parasites could not survive and reproduce, plants could not spread their seeds, viruses could not infect their host, and organisms could not form adaptations from their environment that allow them to slowly evolve into better-adapted organisms. Parasites are organisms that need a host to survive and reproduce.…
DFTD is primarily seen inside the oral cavity with tumors developing primarily around the face and jaw, but can then metastasize (Grueber et al., 2011). In extreme cases, the tumors may also be seen extending to the neck and other parts of the body. These tumors can grow large and fester making eating a challenge which ultimately kills the animal (Jones & McCallum, 2011). All individuals who contract the disease die within six months as a result of starvation because of an inability to feed or as a result of organ failure from metastases (Grueber et al.,…
Myxomatosis was spread around by insects; mosquito and flea vectors, which was purposely made brought in by a farmer. Human impacts on the species play a huge role in biodiversity because humans are the ones who introduced it. However, hunting down these wild rabbits can help humans from rabbits damaging lawns, gardens, golf courses, sports grounds, garages, and…
What is smallpox exactly? Smallpox is actually the nickname of the virus, the scientific name is Variola which may appear as V. major or V. minor. Variola virus is relatively stable in the natural environment. If aerosolized, it will retain its infectivity for at least several hours if not exposed to sunlight or ultraviolet light. Since the virus is two hundred and sixty by one hundred fifty nanometers and contains a molecule of double stranded DNA putatively coding for some two hundred different proteins; makes smallpox one of the largest viral genomes known which makes it especially difficult to create a synthetic copy of the virus for medical purposes.…
West Nile virus is a disease transmitted by certain mosquitoes that can cause serious brain inflammation. West Nile Virus originated in Uganda, in 1937. The virus has now spread across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The virus is most commonly spread through mosquitoes, particularly the Culex pipiens mosquito. Humans are most commonly affected, especially those over the age of 50, by this disease although some animals such as bats, horses, cats, dogs, skunks and many more.…
West Nile virus has been confirmed in two Allegan County crows. These are two of 81 birds that have tested positive for West Nile virus from 33 Michigan counties to date in 2017. Residents are reminded that the best way to protect against West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses is to prevent mosquito bites. Symptoms of West Nile virus include headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, and rash.…
For a very long period of time, pathogens, or disease-causing organisms and substances, have truly devastated humanity. Numerous prominent personalities of history have been afflicted by such complications. George Washington, in the early years of the American Revolution, was bothered by one of the notorious variola diseases through the course of time: smallpox. He described such conditions caused by these viruses as a potentially greater threat; greater than “the Sword of the Enemy”. This virus not only threatened his life, but it compromised their victory of Washington’s army as well, when they were fighting for independence from Britain (Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, 2015).…
There’s a long history of smallpox since it has been around for thousands of years. The European settlers first brought smallpox to North America in the 1600s. In 1633-1634, the disease swept through the Northeast, wiping out entire Native American tribes. Native populations in New England are thought to have plummeted by over 70 percent due to this outbreak (Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, 2012). Smallpox is spread when a person breathes it in and out.…
The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. Is a book that has many stories that are mainly about the filovirus which contain the two-main virus that the writer has written about it which they are Ebola and Marburg virus. The book also explains how did the virus have been discovered and how it really affected the community and what did the World Health Organization reacted on the virus effects on the world. The writer had written about how did the people react to the virus and how did the scientist struggle in discovering the virus and how did the Center of Disease Control started to do some action against the virus. In this paragraph, I will be discussing the people react to the virus and how about scientist struggle and discovering the cause of the virus.…