Viruses

The flu is caused by various strains of the influenza virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the flu affects between 5 to 20 percent of the population each year.

Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first detected the swine flu, or 2009 H1N1 virus, in United States patients in April 2009. The World Health Organization declared this...

Viral meningitis is inflammation of the coverings (meninges) of the brain and spinal cord caused by viral infection. Enteroviruses (the most common cause), mumps virus, herpes viruses, measles...

There are viruses to infect every organ in the human body. Some organs infect the liver, others the stomach. A wide variety of viruses infect the skin and are very transmissible from one person to...

Shingles is an infection that is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox. This disease causes a painful rash and can affect people later in life who had chickenpox...

The use of antibiotics to fight disease and bacteria has led to the development of "superbugs," or viruses that are immune to antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a...

There are several viruses that can infect the stomach and intestines and cause vomiting and diarrhea, including the norovirus and rotavirus. Symptoms begin within one to two days after infection...

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is actually a very large group of viruses that cause various, mostly wart-like conditions in humans.

Meningitis, also known as asceptic meningitis, affects the spinal cord and brain. When a person has meningitis, the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord become inflamed. Of the two...

Rotavirus infection is a serious disease that primarily affects children and causes severe diarrhea. Most children develop a rotavirus infection at least one time. Frequent hand washing is an...

Tamiflu and Relenza, both considered unsafe for young children by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, are commonly prescribed for influenza. Because these drugs are excreted in breast milk,...

FluMist is the trade name of the seasonal influenza vaccine produced by MedImmune, LLC. The vaccine is administered intranasally using a prefilled sprayer.

The flu is highly contagious and can cause a variety of symptoms from mild to severe. For some people---children, older people and those who are immunocompromised---there's even a risk of death...

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), one of the human herpes viruses, does not cause severe disease in most infected people, according to Microbiology and Immunology Online. In infants and people with weakened...

CMV, or cytomegalovirus, is a virus of the family herpesviridae. It is one of the opportunistic infections of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome), meaning it is one of the agents that...

Chicken pox is a common illness caused by an infection of the varicella-zoster virus (VZV). Symptoms of this illness, especially those associated with the characteristic rash, occur in stages, and...

Distemper and pneumonia are among the most common respiratory illnesses. Conventional medical treatments involve the use of intravenous and/or oral antibiotics and other medications that have side...

Cold sores, also known as fever blisters, are sores in the mouth area caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV). Children can get cold sores, and they get them in the same way that adults do--through...

Antiviral medications are used to treat diseases caused by viruses. They can be seen as somewhat like antibiotics used to treat conditions caused by bacteria, though fewer viral illnesses can be...

Antiretroviral medications are used to manage conditions caused by viruses of the viral family retroviridae. Antiretroviral medications are used in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

The shingles medical name is herpes zoster, which is a viral infection. The infection causes painful rashes from the chronic infection of the nerve cells. The shingles virus is a late-term...

Generally, a person infected with the BK virus does not show any symptoms and may go a lifetime without issue. But, sometimes a person does suffer symptoms and should been seen by a doctor and...

The seasonal flu virus has a coating that is able to stay hard in the winter, forming a protective "shell" around the virus until it enters a host. In the summer, this coat melts away, making the...

The H1N1 virus, or swine flu, was first detected in the U.S. in April, 2009. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the H1N1 "is causing the first flu pandemic in more...

We all have a certain amount of fungus in our bodies, but sometimes it begins to grow and spread in an abnormal way. Generally a weakened immune system due to disease, illness or poor health...

Many people don't realize that viruses often cause joint pain, as well as resulting in joint damage. Virulent strains of staph (staphylococcus), for example, often actually destroy the affected joint.

Pink eye, otherwise known as conjunctivitis, is the swelling of the conjunctiva (or the membrane which covers the clear white part of the eye). Once the eye is inflamed it turns a pinkish color,...

Fever blisters caused by the herpes virus can sometimes develop inside the nose. They are painful and can impede breathing through the nostrils. Over 95 percent of the population carries the...

The H1N1 virus is an influenza virus. It is also known as swine flu as its genes are similar to that which occur in North American pigs (hence, swine). The H1N1 virus is highly contagious and can...

Shingles, or herpes zoster, is a viral infection caused by a reactivation of the herpes virus varicella zoster, which causes chickenpox. Shingles produces a blistering rash, usually along the path...

The flu virus is highly contagious and, as with most viruses, cannot be cured with medication. The flu is sensitive to changes in body temperatures above 98.6. Fever is the body's way of fighting...

The flu is a highly contagious virus that affects the upper respiratory system. Symptoms include fever, nasal congestion and coughing. Flu sufferers also may experience swollen glands, body ache...

Seasonal "flu" (influenza) vaccine is recommended for all children 6 months through 18 years old. In particular, toddlers have a higher risk of getting the flu or becoming very sick from it, so...

Vaccines to protect people from hepatitis B virus infection have been available in the U.S. since 1981. The hepatitis B vaccines currently licensed for use in this country are recombinant...

If someone in your home has the flu, cleaning thoroughly will prevent the germ from spreading to every member of your household. Cleaning your hands after you touch surfaces in public will help...

Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox--the varicella zoster virus. If you had chicken pox as a child, you may mysteriously develop shingles as an adult. It is more common...

Varicella, or chicken pox, typically has mild symptoms but may cause serious complications for infants and adults. Since the first varicella vaccine was licensed in 1995 in the United States,...

Tapeworms are parasitic worms that lodge into the intestines of some animals, commonly dogs, and sometimes humans. The different segments of tapeworms lay eggs that pass through the anus with...

To compare smallpox to chickenpox, you should know the signs, symptoms, causes and effects of each disease. Smallpox and chickenpox both have signs and symptoms similar to the flu, including...

Viruses are very small particles (an individual viral particle is called a virion) that are nonliving but which contain genetic information and can infect other organisms. Those that can...

Shingles, or herpes zooster, is a painful viral infection of the nerves. It commonly affects older adults or people with weakened immune systems. Often a rash will appear on one side of the body...

Shingles is a viral infection caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. It causes a painful rash that usually starts in the middle of your back and travels around one side to the breast bone.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by a virus or bacteria. Viral meningitis is the most common form of meningitis in the United...

According to Centers of Disease Control (CDC) records, February is most often the height of flu season in the U.S., followed by the month of January. The reasons why flu outbreaks follow the...

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 5 to 20 percent of Americans catch the flu annually. Most are infected during the fall and winter months.

Determining whether you have bacterial or viral sinusitis is important when it comes to trying to treat the problem. There are many ways to distinguish between the two.

Chicken pox (varicella-zoster virus) can be treated with antiviral medications to reduce the symptoms of the disease. These antivirals must be taken within 24 hours of symptoms appearing. Because...

Gastroenteritis, also known as a stomach virus, can leave you feeling fatigued and nauseated. Common symptoms of gastroenteritis include abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and sometimes fever. ...