Single -Stranded RNA Viruses • Differentiated from Togaviruses on the basis that
• Arenaviridae
• Bunyaviridae
• Caliciviridae
• Coronaviridae
• Filoviridae
• Flaviviridae
• Togaviridae
• Picornaviruses
Arenaviridae
• Arena meaning "sand”.
• Under an electron microscope, they contain a
number of dense granules that are ribosomes,
giving them a sandy and granular appearance.
• Cause hemorrhagic fever.
• Are enveloped, spherical particles with a
bipartite (2 segment)RNA genome that exists as
virions as helical nucleocapsids.
• The arenaviruses infect rodents, and humans are
then exposed to the disease by zoonotic
transmission.
• Lassa virus is the most well known of the
arenaviruses.
Arenaviridae
• Arenaviruses are commonly split into two
groups: the Old World and New World viruses.
• New World arenaviruses are the more extensive
group and include : Tacaribe, Guanarito, Junin,
and Machupo.
• The Old World arenavirus group includes:
• the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus and Lassa
virus.
Symptoms of Lassa fever virus
• Animal vector for Lassa virus, the
"multimammate rat" (Mastomys natalensis) is
distributed throughout the region in West Africa
• Mild symptoms include slight fever, general
malaise and weakness, and headache.
• In 20% of infected individuals, however, disease
may progress to more serious symptoms
including hemorrhaging in gums, eyes, or nose,
as examples), respiratory distress, repeated
vomiting, facial swelling. pain in the chest, back,
and abdomen, and shock.
Bunyaviridae
• Large helical envelope nucleocapsids with ssRNA
• Replicate in the cytoplasm
• Include all former group C arboviruses
they are larger & possess a different structure.
• The family Bunyaviridae includes the genera
Orthobunyavirus, Phlebovirus, and Nairovirus,
which are classified as arboviruses.
• These viruses replicate initially in the gut of the
arthropod vector and eventually appear in the
saliva.
• Most members of the family Bunyaviridae cause
a febrile illness, hemorrhagic fever, or
encephalitis.
a. Genus Bunyavirus-
• Bunyamwera and related viruses causing fever
and rash
• California encephalitis group including LaCrosse
(LACV) target the brain, causing encephalitis.
b. Genus Phlebovirus
• Sandfly fever virus - facial and facial erythema
• Rift valley fever- fever, arthralgia and retinitis
c. Genus Nairovirus
• CCHF -Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus
causes a high mortality infection in humans.
Infection begins with fever, myalgia, arthralgia,
and photophobia.
• Nairobi sheep disease virus-acute febrile illness
d. Genus Hantavirus-
• These viruses cause a disease referred to as
hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS).
Hantaviruses
• The genus Hantavirus includes Hantaan virus,
Seoul virus, Puumala virus, and Dobrava virus.
• These viruses cause a disease referred to as
hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HRS).
These viruses occur in Asia and Europe, with the
exception of the Seoul virus, which is found
worldwide.
• Hantaviruses endemic to Europe and Asia are
called Old World hantaviruses.
• The Puumala hantavirus is the most common
member of this genus in Europe and causes a
mild form of HRS, called nephropathia epidemica
Filoviridae
• The family Filoviridae includes two genera:
Marburgvirus and Ebolavirus.
• The Lake Victoria Marburgvirus (formerly
Marburgvirus) is in the former genus-
causing acute hemorrhagic fever, frequently
fatal.
Ebolavirus includes:
• Ebola virus Zaire strain (EBO-Z),
• Ebola virus Sudan strain (EBO-S),
• Ebola virus Reston strain (EBO-R), and
• Ebola virus Tai Forest strain
Ebola virus
• Named after the Ebola River in the DRC, where
the infection first emerged in 1976
• Enveloped helical nucleocapsids with sSRNA
• Replicate in cytoplasm
• Very pleomorphic,branched, circular, and U-
shaped forms are commonly found.
• they have unknown reservoirs in nature,
although human infections may result from
contact with infected monkeys.
• The virus emerged almost simultaneously in
Sudan.
• In Zaire a patient treated at a village hospital for
a bloody nose probably introduced the virus into
the hospital, where it was then transmitted both
nosocomially and via contact with infected
individuals at home
• After entering the body, it kills cells, making
some of them explode. It wrecks the immune
system, causes heavy bleeding inside the body,
and damages almost every organ.
• Symptoms can seem like the flu at first - -
sudden fever, feeling tired, muscle pains,
headache, and sore throat.
• As the disease gets worse, it causes vomiting,
diarrhea, rash, and bruising or bleeding without
an injury, like from the eyes or gums.
Flaviviridae
• Enveloped icosahedral viruses with SSRNA
• Replicate in cytoplasm
• Comprise the old group B arboviruses
• The family Flaviviridae contains a number of
important human pathogens, many of which are
zoonotic arboviruses, including
Mosquito borne:
• Dengue virus (4 serotypes)- fever, arthralgia,
rash
• Yellow fever virus- hemorrhagic, hepatitis,
nephritis, often fatal
• St. Louis encephalitis virus- encephalitis
• West Nile virus-fever, arthralgia, rash
• Japanese encephalitis virus- frequently fatal
encephalitis
Flaviviridae
• Tick-borne
• Central-European tick-borne encephalitis
• Far-Eastern tick-borne encephalitis
• Kyasanur forest virus- hemorrhagic fever
• Louping ill - encephalitis
• Powassan- encephalitis
• Omak hemorrhagic fever virus- hemorrhagic
fever
Flaviviridae
Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus is a major cause
of encephalitis in Asia and is the most common
cause of arboviral encephalitis in the world.
Picornaviruses (Enterovirus & Rhinovirus Groups
• Picornaviruses represent a very large virus family
with respect to the number of members
smallest in terms of virion size and genetic
complexity.
• They include two major groups of human
pathogens: enteroviruses and rhinoviruses.
1. Enteroviruses are transient inhabitants of the
human alimentary tract and may be isolated
from the throat or lower intestine.
2. Rhinoviruses are isolated chiefly from the
nose and throat.
Picornaviridae:
• Enterovirus (enteroviruses),
• Rhinovirus (rhinoviruses),
• Hepatovirus (hepatitis A virus), Parechovirus
(parechoviruses),
• Aphthovirus (foot-and-mouth disease viruses),
and Cardiovirus (cardioviruses).
• The first four groups contain important human
pathogens
Family Picornaviridae
• Pico (small RNA) viruses
• Hosts: mammals, birds
• Diseases: common cold, polio, hepatitis A,
foot and mouth disease
Examples of Picornaviruses
• A.Enterovirus - (+SsRNA, naked)
• B. Hepatovirus - liver Hepatitis A virus (also
known as human enterovirus 72)
Genera of Enteroviruses
A. Genus Enterovirus- very tiny virus found in the
intestines of man and other animals, stable at pH3.
Examples are the ff.
a. Poliovirus: 90% asymptomatic, iron-lung, vaccine
NEVER oral, 3 types infect humans (PV1, PV2, PV3)
causing poliomyelitis involving prominently the
anterior horn cells. The destruction of motor
neurons in the spinal cord results in flaccid paralysis.
b. Coxsakie virus A: herpanginalvesicular pharyngitis)
causing general striated muscle damage, aseptic
meningitis, common cold syndrome, epidemic
myalgia, exanthema, infantile diarrhea and acute
hemorrhagic conjunctivitis.
c. Coxsakie virus B: causing primarily fatty tissue and
CNS damage, undifferentiated febrile illness,
pleurodynia (Bornholm disease), myocarditis,
pericardial infections, HA-like symptoms, cardio-
virus, pneumonia.
6 Serotypes of coxsackie B viruses (CBVs) (family
Picornaviridae, genus Enterovirus) are recognized:
CB1-6.
CBV infections are common in humans and usually
cause minor symptoms.
CVs are also linked to several serious acute
manifestations in infants, children, and adults.
CBVs are one of the most common causes of
meningitis and can also cause encephalitis.
In addition, enteroviruses are well documented as a
cause of acute myocarditis, with viruses in the
species.
Human enterovirus B, particularly CVs, being the
most common etiologic agents (2)
d.Human enteroviruses 68-71
lower respiratory illness, acute hemorrhagic
conjunctivitis, meningitis
e. Echovirus ( Enteric Cytopathogenic Human
Orphan) Paralysis, aseptic meningitis, encephalitis,
exanthema (red rashes), respiratory dis.
Fecal/Oral, Acquired intestinally, infect blood
Enteroviruses (EVs) belong to the family
Picornaviridae and are a well-known cause of
neonatal sepsis and viral meningitis.
Human parechoviruses (HeVs) type 1 and 2,
previously named echovirus 22 and 23 - associated
with mild gastrointestinal or respiratory symptoms in
young children.
Six HeV genotypes are currently known, of which
HeV3 is associated with neonatal sepsis and
meningitis.
B.Genus Rhinovirus (Rhinos = nose)
• causing Common cold, bronchitis, croup and
Bronchopneumonia.
• They are the most commonly recovered
agents from people with mild upper
respiratory illnesses.
• They are usually isolated from nasal
secretions but may also be found in throat
and oral secretions.
• Also responsible for about one-half of
asthma exacerbations.
C. Genus Cardiovirus
Ex. Encephalomyocarditis virus (EMC) - causing mild
febrile illness
D. Genus Aphthovirus (Aphtha = vesicles in the
mouth)
Example is Foot and mouth disease virus
Foot-and-Mouth Disease (Aphthovirus of Cattle)
• This highly infectious disease of cloven-
hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, pigs,
and goats is rare in the United States but
endemic in other countries.
• It may be transmitted to humans by contact
or ingestion.
• In humans, the disease is characterized by
fever, salivation, and vesiculation of the
mucous membranes of the oropharynx and
of the skin of the palms, soles, fingers, and
toes.
Foot-and-ouin Disease Apninovirus or Cattle)
• The disease in animals is highly contagious in
the early stages of infection when viremia is
present and when vesicles in the mouth and
on the feet rupture and liberate large
amounts of virus.
• The mortality rate in animals is usually low
but may reach 70%.
• Infected animals become poor producers of
milk and meat.
Reoviruses, Rotaviruses, & Caliciviruses
• Reoviruses are medium-sized viruses with a
double-stranded, segmented RNA genome
• Virion: Icosahedral, 60-80 m in diameter,
double capsid shell Replication: Cytoplasm
• The family includes human rotaviruses, the
most important cause of infantile
gastroenteritis around the world.
• Acute gastroenteritis is a very common
disease with significant public health impact.
 • In developing countries it is estimated to
cause as many as 1.5 million deaths of
preschool children annually, of which
rotavirus is responsible for about 600,000
deaths.
• Rotaviruses are the major cause of infantile
diarrhea
The family Reoviridae is divided into 15 genera.
• Four of the genera are able to infect humans
and animals.
• Orthoreovirus, Rotavirus, Coltivirus, and
Orbivirus.
• Orthoreovirus- The genera can be divided
into two groups; one group contains viruses
with large spikes at the 12 vertices on the
particle. Mammalian reoviruses.
• Genus Orbivirus- ex. Colorado tick fever virus
causing encephalitis
• Genus Rotavirus -members appear more
smooth, lacking the large surface projections
. Ex. Human rotavirus causing infantile
gastroenteritis.
Caliciviruses
• In addition to rotaviruses and noncultivable
adenoviruses, members of the family
Caliciviridae.
The most significant member is:
1. Norwalk virus - causing epidemic viral
gastroenteritis
2. Hepatitis E virus(HEV) - epidemic hepatitis
Calciviridae- Naked icosahedral nucleocapsids with a
ssRNA.
Replication: Cytoplasm
Togaviridae
• The family Togaviridae contains the genera
Alphavirus, Rubivirus, and Arterivirus.
• No member of the genus Arterivirus is
known to infect humans.
• Many of the viruses in the genus Alphavirus
are mosquito-borne and cause encephalitis.
• Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) occurs
primarily in the eastern half of the United
States
A. genus Alphavirus
• Eastern, Western, & Venezuelan equine
encephalitis-causing encephalitis in man
Sindbis - causing fever, rash and arthritis Semliki
forest virus- rarely encephalitis
Chikungunya causing myositis arthritis
O'Nyong-Nyong- causing fever, rash, arthralgia
Ross River virus - causing fever, rash, arthralgia
B. genus Rubivirus
Rubella virus- causing severe deformities of fetuses in
19 trimester Orthomyxoviruses (Influenza Viruses):
Family Orthomyxoviridae (influenza viruses)
• Family Orthomyxoviridae (influenza viruses).
• Influenza type A is antigenically highly
variable and is responsible for most cases of
epidemic influenza.
• Influenza type B may exhibit antigenic
changes and sometimes causes epidemics.
• Influenza type C is antigenically stable and
causes only mild illness in
immunocompetent individuals.of pregnancy
and German measles.
Orthomyxoviruses
• Virion: Spherical, pleomorphic
• Genome: Single-stranded RIA, segmented
• Envelope: Contains viral hemagglutinin (HA)
and neuraminidase (NA) proteins
• Replication: Nuclear transcription
• Outstanding characteristics:
• Genetic reassortment common among
members of the same genus
• Influenza viruses cause worldwide
epidemics.
There are three types of influenza viruses:
• Influenza A, B and C.
• Human influenza A and B viruses cause
seasonal epidemics of disease almost every
winter in the United States.
• Influenza A viruses are divided into subtypes
based on two proteins on the surface of the
virus: the hemagglutinin (H) and the
neuraminidase (N). There are 18 different
hemagglutinin subtypes and 11 different
neuramin dase subtypes. (HI through F18
and N1 through MIl respectively°
• Influenza type C infections cause a mild
respiratory illness and are not thought to
cause epidemics.
• Influenza A viruses can be further broken
down into different strains. Current subtypes
of influenza A viruses found in people are
influenza A (HIN1) and influenza A (H3N2)
viruses
 CDC follows an internationally accepted naming
convention for influenza viruses.
• The antigenic type (e.g., A, B, C)
• The host of origin (e.g., swine, equine,
chicken, etc. For human-origin viruses, no
host of origin designation is given.)
• Geographical origin (e.g., Denver, Taiwan,
etc.)
• Strain number (e.g., 15, 7, etc.)
• Year of isolation (e.g., 57, 2009, etc.)
• For influenza A viruses, the hemagglutinin
and neuraminidase antigen description in
parentheses (e.g., (HIN1), (H5N1)
• For example:
• A/duck/Alberta/35/76 (H1N1) for a virus
from duck origin
• A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2) for a virus from
human origin
Paramyxoviruses & Rubella Virus
• Virion: Spherical, pleomorphic, 150 nm or
more in diameter (helical nucleocapsid
• Genome: Single-stranded RNA
• Envelope: Contains viral glycoprotein (G, H,
or HIN) (which sometimes carries
hemagglutinin or neuraminidase activity)
and fusion (F) glycoprotein; very fragile
• Replication: Cytoplasm
• Paramyxoviruses include the most important
agents of respiratory infections of infants
and young children:
• Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and the
• Parainfluenza viruses
• Mumps and
•Measles (contagious diseases of
childhood).
Paramyxoviridae-Mumps Virus
• Mumps virus is related to the PIVs and is
classified in the genus Rubulavirus.
• It is an enveloped ssRNA virus with HN and F
surface antigens.
• Replicate in cytoplasm.
A. genus Paramyxovirus
¡. Parainfluenza virus- causing respiratory tract
infections
II. Mumps - causing parotitis, orchitis,
meningoencephalitis
Mumps virus is spread by droplets of infected saliva
and has a worldwide distribution.
Rubeola -Measles Virus
• The measles virus is an enveloped virus
B. genus Morbillivirus (with no neuraminidase)
 ii. Measles - causing measles, chronic
degeneration of the CNS (SSPE)
 iii. Measles is highly contagious and
spreads by aerosol.
 iii. About 2 to 3 days later, a
maculopapular rash appears on the
head and trunk.
• Koplik's spots, lesions on the oral mucosa
consisting of irregular red spots with a bluish-
white speck in the center generally appear 2 to
3 davs before the rash and are diagnostic.
• Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a
progressive neurological disorder of children
and young adults that affects the CNS.
• It is a slow, but persistent, viral infection
caused by defective measles virus
C. genus Pneumovirus (with no hemagglutinin and
neuraminidase spikes)
Example:
 Respiratory Syncytial virus (RSV) - causing
pneumonia & bronchiolitis in infants and
children, common cold syndrome
 Lab Dx.
 HeLa and HEp2 are most sensitive
 CPE- syncytia
(CPE means cytopathic effect; syncytia means-
rounding of the infected cell, fusion with adjacent
cells to form a syncytia (poly karyocytes), and the
appearance of nuclear or cytoplasmic inclusion
bodies.)
Coronaviruses
• Coronaviruses are large, enveloped RNA viruses.
• The human coronaviruses cause common colds
and have been implicated in gastroenteritis in
infants.
• A novel coronavirus was identified as the cause
of a worldwide outbreak of a severe acute
respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003.
• Cause colds and SARS
• Display high frequency of recombination
• Difficult to grow in cell culture
• Genome: Single-stranded RNA, linear
• Proteins: Two glycoproteins and one
phosphoprotein. Some viruses contain a third
glycoprotein (hemagglutinin esterase)
• Envelope: Contains large, widely spaced, club-
or petal-shaped spikes
• Replication: Cytoplasm; particles mature by
budding into endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi
Pathogenesis
• Coronaviruses tend to be highly species-specific.
• Little is known about the pathogenesis of
coronavirus disease in humans.
• Most of the known animal coronaviruses display
a tropism for epithelial cells of the respiratory or
gastrointestinal tract.
• Coronavirus infections in humans usually remain
limited to the upper respiratory tract.
• The SARS coronavirus causes severe respiratory
disease.
• The incubation period averages about 6 days.
• Common early symptoms include fever, malaise,
chills, headache, dizziness, cough, and sore
throat, followed a few days later by shortness of
breath.
• Many patients have abnormal chest
radiographs.
• Some cases progress rapidly to acute respiratory
distress, requiring ventilator support.
• Death from progressive respiratory failure
occurs in almost 10% of cases, with the death
rate highest among the elderly.
Rabies, slow Virus Infections, & Prion Diseases
Rabies
• Rabies is an acute infection of the central
nervous system that is almost always fatal.
• The virus is usually transmitted to humans
from the bite of a rabid
• animal.
• Although the number of human cases is
small, rabies is a major public health
problem because it is widespread among
animal reservoirs
Important Properties of Rhabdoviruses
• Virion: Bullet-shaped, Envelope: Present
• Genome: Single-stranded RNA
• Proteins: Five major proteins; one is the
envelope glycoprotein
• Replication: Cytoplasm
Structure of rhabdoviruses.
• A. Electron micrograph of bullet-shaped
particle typical of the rhabdovirus family
Outstanding characteristics:
• Wide array of viruses with broad host range
• Group includes the deadly rabies virus
Classification
• The viruses are classified in the family
Rhabdoviridae.
• genus Lyssavirus- Rabies viruses
• genus Vesiculovirus -the vesicular stomatitis-
like viruses
• The rhabdoviruses are very widely distributed
in nature, infecting vertebrates, invertebrates,
and plants.
• Rabies is the only medically important
rhabdovirus. Many of the animal
rhabdoviruses infect insects, but rabies virus
does not.
Pathogenesis & Pathology
• Rabies virus multiplies in muscle or connective
tissue at the site of inoculation and then
enters peripheral nerves at neuromuscular
junctions and spreads up the nerves to the
central nervous system.
• it is also possible for rabies virus to enter the
nervous system directly without local
replication.
• It multiplies in the central nervous system and
progressive encephalitis develops.
• The virus then spreads through peripheral
nerves to the salivary glands and other tissues.
• The organ with the highest titers of virus is the
submaxillary salivary gland. Other organs
where rabies virus has been found include
pancreas, kidney, heart, retina, and cornea.
• Rabies virus has not been isolated from the
blood of infected persons.
Clinical Findings
• acute neurologic phase, which lasts 2-7 days,
patients show signs of nervous system
dysfunction such as nervousness,
apprehension, hallucinations, and bizarre
behavior
• General sympathetic overactivity is observed,
including lacrimation, pupillary dilatation, and
increased salivation and perspiration.
• A large fraction of patients will exhibit
hydrophobia (fear of water) or aerophobia
(fear when feeling a breeze).
• The act of swallowing precipitates a painful
spasm of the throat muscles.
 • This phase is followed by convulsive seizures
or coma and death.
• The major cause of death is respiratory SLOW VIRUS AND PRION DISEASES
paralysis.
• Paralytic rabies occurs in about 20% of Disease Agen Hosts Incuba Nature of
patients, most frequently in those infected t tion disease
with bat rabies virus. Period
• The disease course is slower, with some Diseases of
patients surviving 30 days. humans
• Recovery and survival are extremely rare. Subacute Mea Humans 2-20 Chronic
Types of Rabies Antibody sclerosing sles yrs sclerosing
• 1. Rabies immune globulin, human (HRIG) - panencephali Virus panencep
HRIG is a gamma globulin prepared by cold tis varia halitis
nt
ethanol fractionation from the plasma of
Progressive Polyo Humans Years Central
hyperimmunized humans. There are fewer
multifocal ma nervous
adverse reactions to human rabies immune
leukoenceph Virus system
globulin than to equine antirabies serum. alopathy JCV demyelin
• 2. Antirabies serum, equine – ation
This is concentrated serum from horses Humans Mont Sporiform
hyperimmunized with rabies virus. It has been CJD Prion Chimpa hs to encephal
used in countries where HRIG is not available. nzees, years opathy
Association of viruses with human cancers monkey
Virus family Virus Human Cancer s
Papillomaviridae Human Genital tumors
papillomaviruses Mont Sporiform
Squamos cell Variant CJD Prion Humans hs to encephal
carcinoma cattles years opathy
Oropharyngeal Mont Sporiform
carcinoma Kuru Prion hs to encephal
Herpesviridae Epstein-Barr virus Nasopharyngeal years opathy
carcinoma
Burkitt Slow Virus Infections & Prion Diseases
lymphoma • Some chronic degenerative diseases of the
Hodgkin disease central nervous system in humans are caused by
B cell lumphoma "slow" or chronic, persistent infections by classic
Human Kaposi sarcoma viruses.
herpesvirus 8 • Among these are subacute sclerosing
Hepadnaviridae Hepatitis B virus Hepatocellular panencephalitis and progressive multifocal
carcinoma leukoencephalopathy.
Human T cell Adult T cell • Other diseases known as transmissible
lymphoma leukemia spongiform encephalopathies-eg,
Human AIDS-related • Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CD) -are caused by
immunodeficiency malignancies unconventional transmissible agents termed
virus
"prions"
Flaviviridae Hepatitis C Hepatocellular
• The progressive neurologic diseases produced by
carcinoma
these agents may have incubation periods of
ears before clinical manifestations of the
infections become evident
 Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is marked by rapid mental
deterioration, usually within a few months. Initial
signs and symptoms typically include.
 Personality changes
 Anxiety
 Depression
 Memory loss
 Impaired thinking
 Blurred vision or blindness
 Insomnia
 Difficulty speaking
 Difficulty swallowing
 Sudden, jerky movements
• In people with the rarer vCJD, psychiatric
symptoms may be more prominent in the
beginning, with dementia-the loss of the
ability to think, reason and remember -
developing later in the illness.
• In addition, this variant affects people at a
younger age than classic CJD does and
appears to have a slightly longer duration - 12
to 14 months.
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies
(Prion Diseases)
• Degenerative central nervous system diseases -
Kuru, CID, Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker
syndrome, fatal familial insomnia of humans,
scrapie of sheep, transmissible encephalopathy
of mink, bovine spongiform encephalopathy of
cattle, and chronic wasting disease of deer -have
similar pathologic features.
• These diseases are described as transmissible
spongiform encephalopathies ( TSE)
• The causative agents are not conventional
viruses; infectivity is associated with
proteinaceous material devoid of detectable
amounts of nucleic acid
• The term "prion" is used to designate this novel
class of agents.
The subtypes are:
• Sporadic
• Genetic
• Acquired
Types of Prion Disease
Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (SCID)
• it occurs in people without any known risk
factors or gene mutations. Typical symptoms
include imbalance and incoordination,
memory loss and impaired thinking, and
psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety or
depression. Usually fatal within a few
months of symptom onset
Sporadic Fatal Insomnia (sFI)
• caused by a misfolded protein w/c is
unknown.
• Symptoms include difficulty falling asleep
(insomnia), difficulty walking, weight loss
and excessive tears in the eye, progress to
loss of consciousness and death
Genetic
Familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (fCID)
• Inherited mutations in the prion protein gene
(PRNP) cause the familial form of prion disease.
Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease (GSS)
• is an extremely rare, neurodegenerative brain
disorder. It is almost always inherited and is
found in only a few families around the world.
Onset of the disease usually occurs between the
ages of 35 and 55.
Fatal familial insomnia (FFI)
• is a very rare autosomal dominant inherited
disease of the brain.
• The dominant gene responsible has been found
in just 28 families worldwide, if only one parent
has the gene, the offspring have a 50% chance of
inheriting it and developing the disease. The
disease's genesis and the patient's progression
into complete sleeplessness is untreatable, and
ultimately fatal
latrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (iCID)
• 'Iatrogenic" literally means 'physician-induced".
Therefore, an iatrogenic disease is one
associated with a medical practitioner or
treatment
• Cases of JD have been linked to treatments using
growth hormone prepared from human pituitary
glands.
• A few CID cases have been linked to infected
tissue transplants and grafts from donors who
turned out to have CID.
Mad Cow Disease
• BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) is a
progressive neurological disorder of cattle that
results from infection by an unusual
transmissible agent called a prion. the agent is a
modified form of a normal protein known as
prion protein.
• For reasons that are not yet understood, the • Kuru is among the fatal neurodegenerative prion
normal prion protein changes into a pathogenic protein (Pr) diseases in humans.
(harmful) form that then damages the central • It spread when tribal members ritualistically
nervous system of cattle. consumed the tissue of affected people during
• Mad cow disease is a neurological disorder of funeral rites.
cattle. • Kuru is characterized by walking problems,
Henipavirus shaking of the limbs, slurred speech and mood
• Henipaviruses belong to the family of changes, but little or no dementia.
paramyxoviruses. • It is usually fatal within 6 to 12 months. Kuru
• Two species have been identified to be zoonotic, disappeared with the end of cannibalistic
causing disease in animals. These are: practices in New Guinea.
 Hendra virus (HeV)-causes horse fatalities ANTIVIRAL THERAPY
 Nipah virus (NiV)- encephalitis • Antiviral compounds must target an essential
• They produce severe and often fatal illness in viral replicative mechanism without destroying
humans and horses. or damaging uninfected host cells.
• The disease manifests in 4-20 days or 5-12 days, Several antiviral agents resemble nucleosides used in
for HeV and NiV infection respectively. It viral replication
presents as fever with acute encephalitis, or as EXAMPLE INHIBITS ACTIVE
an acute influenza-like illness leading to severe AGAINTS
respiratory illness, or as meningitis. Acyclovair DNA HSV, VZV
• The mortality ranges from 40-70% for NiV Polymerase
infection, and 50% with HeV. Cidofovir DNA CMV (Renitis)
Polymerase
• It is highest among those with acute
Famciclovir DNA HSV-2
encephalitis.
Polymerase
• Survivors have severe residual disabilities, such Ganciclovir DNA CMV (Renitis)
as incoordination, muscular weakness and Polymerase
difficulty with thought processing and mental Valacyclovir DNA HSV-2
functions. Polymerase
• Others show paralysis of the eye muscles, with Idoxuridine, DNA synthesis HSV (keratitis)
resultant visual problems. trifluridine (DNA base
Ecology of henipaviruses analog)
• source: fruit bats (family Pteropodidae) Rimantadine Uncoating
• Fruit bats (Pteropus species, also called 'flying influenza A
foxes") are the natural hosts of henipaviruses. (treatment &
prophylaxis)
• The Hendra virus is probably transmitted to
Interferon- Viral replication HPV (genital
horses, which are the main intermediate hosts,
alpha (multiple warts);
through the ingestion of food contaminated with mechanisms) chronic HCV,
the droppings, urine or other excretions of Kaposi sarcoma
infected fruit bats Ribavirin Viral replication
Guillain-Barre' syndrome (multiple
• inflammatory and demyelinatin system. mechanisms) RSV; CCHF
• rare sequela of acute viral infections measles, ddl Reverse HIV
rubella, varicella-zoster, or mumps.) transcriptase
Kuru 3TC Reverse HIV
• In the 1950s-1960s, kuru reached epidemic transcriptase
proportions in the South Fore tribe of Papua d4T Reverse HIV
New Guinea. transcriptase
ddC Reverse HIV
transcriptase
ZDV Reverse HIV
transcriptase
Indinavir Proteases HIV
Nelfinavir
Ritonavir Proteases HIV
Saquinavir Proteases HIV
Lamivudine Chronic HBV
Adefovir Chronic HB

Non-vector transmission of vertebrate viruses

TRANSMISSION EXAMPLES OF
ROUTE VIRUSES
TRANSMITTED
Horizontal Respiratory Influenza viruses
transmission tract (mammals)
Common cold
viruses
Measles virus

Intestinal tract Influenza viruses

(birds)
Rotaviruses
Abrasions and Papillomaviruses
wounds Rabies virus
Genital tract Papillomaviruses
HIV
Vertical Mother to fetus Rubella virus
transmission via the placenta
Mother to baby HIV
via milk