West Nile virus

Epstein - Barr virus or, Human herpesvirus 4, is the virus that causes infectious mononucleosis, and contains double-stranded DNA. This virus is species specific in that it only infects humans. The Epstein-Barr virus was discovered in 1964 when Michael Anthony Epstein and Yvonne Barr found it in a Burkitt lymphoma cell line. In 1968, they then linked the virus to the disease infectious mononucleosis. Once the host is infected with the virus it stays in the host for the remainder of the host’s…

Case study 1 Mr I is suffering from seasonal influenza as he shows symptoms including sneezing, headache, muscle ache, malaise, dry, chesty cough, fever, fatigue and weakness because he can hardly sit up. These are all the symptoms of seasonal influenza (NICE, 2015). Although symptoms of colds and influenza are very similar, but his symptoms developed within two days which is relatively fast, proving that he suffers from influenza instead of cold. As symptoms of influenza develop a lot faster…

There has been much thought in the scientific community about the polymorphism of human blood types and their genetic factors, and disagreement and uncertainty about details like which evolutionary mechanism blood types have followed over the course of their development and how one’s blood type and environment interact. Investigation and study of blood types has revealed many aspects in which certain blood types provide some advantage to their possessors, providing evidence that they were…

For the initial entry of the virus, the ephrinB2 domain is necessary. Once entered through micropinocytosis, protease cathespin L activates the virus (12). Nipah Virus can replicate very easily in human lung fibroblasts. It can infect the surrounding cells by either cell-to-cell spread or through release of infectious particles. When monocytes get infected, they can transmigrate through the blood brain barrier to infect the brain. This could be plausible if the monocytes were inefficient in…

These vectors contain a 4.7 kilobase DNA genome, and they are created by inserting the desired gene along with promoters and helper genes into the virus where the viral DNA would normally be found. Once the AAV reaches a target cell, the virus synthesizes a second strand of DNA to be paired with the first, and it deposits its DNA into the target cell. However, the AAV vector is not capable of site-selective genomic integration. Instead, it…

The influenza virus has become so deadly, due to its ability to mutate seasonally, through a process called reassortment. This involves the recombination of large genetic segments from several viral strains, which causes small genetic changes to be passed on to create a new type of daughter virus (4). Influenza viruses can do this by antigenic drift, which is when” dominant strains from the previous year have changed its surface structure enough to make the effectiveness of the flu vaccine…

(Nazarko, 2013). People develop chickenpox when they first exposure to herpes virus in childhood. When they recover from chickenpox, the virus remains in the spinal nerves in a dormant form. People with healthy immune systems keep the virus dormant with no symptoms of shingles. When people are in immune depressive status or when people are aging, they have increased risk to develop shingles due to reactive the herpes virus in the body. According to Conceicao and Shostak (2015), the typically…

Anyone who carries the guinea worm will begin to experience symptoms one year after they originally become infected. 90% for the worms appear on the legs and feet, but can occur anywhere through out the body. (MedicineNet) One of the first symptoms a person will experience is pain. The worm causes an abnormal growth also known as a skin lesion. These skin lesions lead to bacterial infections causing the infected person to experience immense pain through out the site of infection. If the…

Mumps is a contagious disease that is caused by a virus. It is transmitted from person to person through saliva, nasal secretions, and close personal contact. Mumps primarily affect the parotid glands or the salivary glands. The hallmark symptom of the mumps is swollen and tender salivary glands under the ears on one or both sides. Other symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite. Symptoms typically appear 16-18 days after the infection, but this period can…

Human genetic engineering, the manipulation of genes in an organism intended to better an organism, is quickly becoming a controversial topic. As technology advances and more tests are conducted, society becomes a step closer to creating the “perfect” baby. Many possibilities have become a reality, and questions such as, “How would the practice of human genetic engineering influence diversity in society?” have been raised. Many factors and situations must be taken into consideration to answer…