Sub microscopic entity consisting

of a single nucleic acid surrounded

by a protein coat and capable of
replication only within the living
cells of bacteria, animals or
plants.
Definition of a Virus
Obligate

Intracellular

Parasite
 Virion Structure
Lipid Envelope Nucleic Acid

Protein
Capsid

Virion
Associated
Spike
Polymerase
Projections
 Virion Morphology
Simple Structure
Repetitive Structure
High Level of
Redundancy
Virus Morphology

Helical Icosahedral
 Virus Replication
1 Virus attachment
and entry
1 2 Uncoating of virion
3 Migration of
genome nucleic
5 acid to nucleus
4 Transcription
4 Genome replication
2 5
6 Translation of virus
3 mRNAs
7 Virion assembly
7 Release of new
8
virus particles
6

8
 Cytopathic Effect (cpe)
Adenovirus Herpes virus
Transmission of Viruses
Respiratory transmission
Influenza A virus
Faecal-oral transmission
Enterovirus
Blood-borne transmission
Hepatitis B virus
Sexual Transmission
HIV
Animal or insect vectors
Rabies virus
 Virus Tissue Tropism
Targeting of the virus to specific tissue
and cell types

Receptor Recognition
CD4+ cells infected by HIV
CD155 acts as the receptor for
poliovirus
In vivo Disease Processes
Cell destruction
Virus-induced changes to gene
expression
Immunopathogenic disease
 Acute Virus Infection
Symptoms
Amount of virus

Virus Time
Acute Virus Infections
Localised to specific site of
body

Development of viraemia
with widespread infection of
tissues
Poliovirus
Poliovirus
Properties of the virus
Enterovirus.
Possesses a RNA
genome.
Transmitted by the
faecal oral route.
Cause of
gastrointestinal illness
and poliomyelitis.
 Poliovirus Infection
Virus
Infection
Non-neuronal
tissues

Gut Viraemia
Neuronal
tissues

Virus excretion
in the faeces Paralysis
Incidence of Poliomyelitis
A B

40
Poliovirus vaccines
Number of cases (in thousands)

30 A: Salk killed inactivated

vaccine.
B: Sabin live attenuated
20 vaccine

10

1950 1960 1970 1980

Influenza A virus
Properties of the virus
Myxovirus
Enveloped virus with a
segmented RNA
genome
Infects a wide range of
animals other than
humans
Undergoes extensive
antigenic variation
Major cause of
respiratory infections
Influenza A virus Infection
Spread by respiratory route
Virus infects cells of the respiratory
tract
Destruction of respiratory epithelium
Secondary bacterial infections
Altered cytokine expression leading to
fever
e.g interleukin-1 and interferon
Spread of influenza virus
Respiratory Tract
Weekly consultation rates for influenza and influenza-like illness: Weekly
Returns Service of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 1988 to
1999

600
Rate per 100 000 population

500
Epidemic activity

400
Higher than expected Baseline activity
300 seasonal activity

200
Normal seasonal activity
100

0
1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
Year

CDR Weekly Report: 5th November 1999

Generation of Novel Influenza A Viruses
Human H2N2

ANTIGENIC SHIFT Human H3N2

Genetic Reassortment

Avian H3N8
Point mutation of HA and NA
genes

ANTIGENIC DRIFT
Viruses and Human Tumours
Epstein Barr Virus
Burkitts Lymphoma
Human papillomavirus
Benign warts
Cervical Carcinoma
Human T-cell Leukaemia Virus (HTLV-1)
Leukaemia
Hepatitis C virus
Liver carcinoma
Virus-induced tumours
Virus
Infection

[ ]
Uninfected Uncontrolled cell
Cell growth and tumour
? formation
Virus-induced transformation
Normal cells Transformed cells
Virus-Induced Tumours
Virus infects cell.
Virus nucleic acid, as DNA,
integrates into cellular genome.
Virus causes changes in cellular gene
expression.
Uncontrolled cell multiplication and
tumour formation.
Treatment and Prevention
of Virus Infections

1. Antivirals
2. Vaccines and immunisation
Antiviral Targets
Attachment/Entry
Nucleic acid replication
Virus protein processing
Virus maturation
Problems with Antivirals
Identification of virus-specific
target.

Generation of resistant variants.