Viral Infections

Summary

Viruses are very tiny germs. They are made of genetic material inside of a protein coating. Viruses cause familiar infectious diseases such as the common cold, flu and warts. They also cause severe illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, Ebola, and COVID-19.

Viruses are like hijackers. They invade living, normal cells and use those cells to multiply and produce other viruses like themselves. This can kill, damage, or change the cells and make you sick. Different viruses attack certain cells in your body such as your liver, respiratory system, or blood.

When you get a virus, you may not always get sick from it. Your immune system may be able to fight it off.

For most viral infections, treatments can only help with symptoms while you wait for your immune system to fight off the virus. Antibiotics do not work for viral infections. There are antiviral medicines to treat some viral infections. Vaccines can help prevent you from getting many viral diseases.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Specifics

• Acute Flaccid Myelitis National Library of Medicine
• Adenoviruses Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Croup: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine
• Enterovirus D68 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• HTLV-1-Associated Myelopathy (HAM)/Tropical Spastic Paraparesis (TSP) National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• Human Metapneumovirus Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Human Parainfluenza Viruses (HPIVs) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Molluscum Contagiosum Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Non-Polio Enterovirus Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Children

• Adenovirus (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Coxsackievirus Infections (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Enterovirus Infections (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease VisualDX
• Human Parainfluenza Viruses Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Parechovirus (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
• Roseola (Sixth Disease) VisualDX
• Viral Exanthem VisualDX

Start Here

• Bacterial vs. Viral Infections: How Do They Differ? Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Find an Expert

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• National Foundation for Infectious Diseases National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Adenoviridae Infections National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Coxsackievirus Infections National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Enterovirus National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Virus Diseases National Institutes of Health

Patient Handouts

• ECHO virus Medical Encyclopedia
• Enterovirus D68 Medical Encyclopedia
• Hand-foot-mouth disease Medical Encyclopedia
• Herpangina Medical Encyclopedia
• Molluscum contagiosum Medical Encyclopedia
• Parainfluenza Medical Encyclopedia
• Roseola Medical Encyclopedia

Encyclopedia

• ELISA blood test Medical Encyclopedia
• Lymph node culture Medical Encyclopedia
• Subacute thyroiditis Medical Encyclopedia

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Germs and Hygiene: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine
• Infection Control: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine

Related Issues

• How Infections Spread Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Diagnosis and Tests

• Immunoglobulins Blood Test National Library of Medicine
• PCR Tests National Library of Medicine
• Rapid Tests National Library of Medicine
• Respiratory Pathogens Panel National Library of Medicine

Images

• Molluscum Contagiosum VisualDX
• Viral Exanthem VisualDX

Journal Articles

• Viral Infections