The common cold, flu, swine flu, and HIV all have one thing in common; they are all viruses that plague mankind with sometimes disastrous results. Viruses have existed for as long as life has existed on this planet. Scientists can’t quite agree on how viruses came into existence, but they all agree that viruses are older than human beings. Some viruses have plagued mankind for centuries; some are relatively new in the grand scheme of things.
Regardless of the virus and its outcome one thing is certain, viruses are one of the most difficult foes mankind will ever face. Despite their dominance in American society, think about that flu shot you get each fall, few people know much about viruses and how they adapt, survive, and carry on to fight another day.
There are a number of ways to define what a virus is, both in laymen’s terms and professional. According to WebMD a virus is defined as:
“A group of infectious agents, which, with few exceptions, are capable of passing through fine filters that retain most bacteria, are usually not visible through the light microscope, lack independent metabolism, and are incapable of growth or reproduction apart from living cells.”
That definition might not mean much to the average Joe, so let’s put it in simpler terms. A virus is an extremely minute infectious agent that is capable of slipping past your body’s immune system and attaching to healthy cells in your body. Once this is accomplished, the virus can replicate and infect your body resulting in illness and even death.
Viruses are unique within the living world because they are considered to be both living and non-living agents. A virus can survive for days, months, and even years without host cells to feed off of. Within the human body a virus can lie dormant for equally long periods of time. Sometimes the virus is truly dormant; other times it is merely replicating at such a slow rate that its effects are not felt immediately.
There are different traits that lead scientists to classify a virus as both living and non-living. The following are some of the living and non-living traits of a virus:rnLiving traits: Capable of rapid reproduction with the help of a host cell. Possess the ability to mutate into similar yet different strains.rnNon-living traits: A cellular agents with no cytoplasm or cellular organelles of their own. No metabolism of their own and no machinery to reproduce on their own. Many possess DNA or RNA within their structure, but not both.
There are many different viruses circulating throughout the global community, each with their own outcomes. The following is a very brief listing of some of the most common viruses:rnCommon coldrnFlu/stomach flurnSwine flurnHIVrnHPV
In order for a virus to successfully carry on in life it must find a host agent to attach to in order to reproduce. Viruses like the common cold or the flu get into the human body and attach to healthy cells within the host. The virus then uses the metabolic processes of the host cell to reproduce and spread throughout the body. Once a virus has used a cell for reproduction, that cell then dies. This is typically done with the help of red blood cells in the human body.
Fighting back against viruses is a difficult process. For all the advancements of modern science, mankind is still struggling to come up with a solution to some of the most common viruses circulating in human society. In the 1950s, Jonas Salk was able to develop a vaccine that offers lifetime protection from Polio. Scientists also fight a yearly battle to stay ahead of the flu virus and vaccines on a yearly basis in an effort to curb the sometimes destructive nature of the flu. Because a virus can mutate and create a new strain, current vaccines for viruses such as the flu are not always universally useful. One particular strain of the flu may be the problem in 2011, while an entirely different strain may circle the globe in 2012.
Other viruses, such as the common cold or more deadly strains such as HIV, are not so easily cured. There is no vaccine available to prevent individuals from coming down with a cold, nor is there a vaccine that can protect us from HIV epidemic.
Just because science doesn’t have a vaccine doesn’t mean we are without defenses against viruses. The first line of defense against many viruses is our body itself. The human body is equipped with an immune system that is designed to combat viruses that enter the body.
When the immune system first detects the presence of a virus in human tissue or cells, it begins to produce and secrete interferons. Interferons are protein based subjects that work to protect the cells and tissue around the infected area to help boost their immunity against the onslaught of the virus. If the interferons are ineffective against the virus then we begin to suffer the side effects and symptoms of the virus.
Coincidentally, when we receive vaccinations to protect us against viruses the goal is to help our bodies prepare to fight a virus much in the way that our immune system is designed to do. One virus in particular is more than capable of defeating both of these defense systems. HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, attacks the immune system in the body and prevents the production and secretion of interferons. This allows the disease to run rampant in the host’s body. There is no vaccine available to protect against HIV.
For lesser viruses, such as the common cold or flu, there are other steps we can take to kill viruses or protect ourselves from them. The following are some of the steps that can be taken to protect against the contraction of viruses:rnWash and clean hands with antibacterial soaprnDisinfect hard surfacesrnWash clothes in warm waterrnWash dishes thoroughly
There is no guarantee these measures will prevent all viruses from entering the system, but they are useful steps that can offer an added level of protection before a virus has the chance to enter the body.
Viruses have plagued mankind for as long as we have walked the Earth. Some viruses, like HIV, can have deadly effects on the human body. Others, such as the common cold or flu, will just run the body down for a few days before it eventually recovers. Modern science has developed a number of tools to help protect mankind from the effects of viruses, but there is no surefire protection available against a virus. While immune systems and vaccinations can block their reproduction, no virus is ever truly killed. The best protection against viruses is vigilance. Remember to get necessary vaccinations and maintain clean living environments to help avoid coming in contact with dangerous viruses.