Viral Diseases

• Measles:

  • spread by droplets from an infected person's sneeze or cough
  • can be very serious or even fatal if there are complications
  • can lead to pneumonia or encephalitis
• Symptoms of measles:

  • developing a red skin rash
  • showing signs of a fever, e.g. a high temperature
• Most people are vaccinated against measles when they are young
• HIV:

  • spread by sexual contact or exchanging bodily fluids e.g. blood
  • the virus attacks the immune cells
  • if the immune system is badly damaged, it can't cope with other infections and cancers
  • at this stage it is known as late stage HIV or AIDS
  • can be controlled with antiretroviral drugs which stop the virus replicating in the body
• Symptoms of HIV:

  • initially, flu-like symptoms for several weeks
  • no symptoms for several years
• Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV):

  • affects many species of plants
  • affects the growth of the plant by limiting photosynthesis
• Symptoms of TMV:

  • a mosaic pattern on the leaves of plants
  • parts of the leaves become discoloured
• Pneumonia

  an infection of the lungs
• Encephalitis

  an infection of the brain