L1 - Medical Virology Introduction to the course Flashcards
Knowledge and understanding of the main viral diseases of man. Knowledge of the scientific literature pertaining to viruses with an impact on human health and an ability to evaluate this literature critically (53 cards)
What is Medical Virology and why is it significant in human health?
Medical virology is the branch of science that studies viruses which infect humans and the diseases they cause. It is significant because viruses are responsible for a wide range of illnesses—from the common cold to life-threatening diseases like HIV/AIDS and cancer. Understanding viruses helps us diagnose, prevent, and treat these conditions effectively.
What is meant by ‘the impact of viral disease’ in a medical context?
The impact of viral disease refers to the broad consequences viruses have on individual health, population-level health outcomes, healthcare systems, and economies. This includes acute infections, long-term complications, chronic disease development, and public health emergencies like pandemics.
What are the main objectives of studying medical virology?
The objectives include understanding the biological and clinical aspects of viral infections, analyzing how viruses spread and cause disease, recognizing the burden they place on society, and learning how to critically interpret scientific literature related to virology and public health interventions.`
What does ‘the burden of disease’ mean in virology?
The burden of disease in virology refers to the total impact that viral diseases have on populations, measured through factors such as mortality, morbidity, loss of economic productivity, and healthcare costs. It helps prioritize public health responses and research funding.
How do viruses contribute to causes of death globally?
Viruses are major contributors to mortality, particularly through diseases like HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, and viral cancers. Some viral infections, such as influenza or COVID-19, lead to large-scale mortality during pandemics. Chronic viral infections can also lead to fatal conditions like liver cirrhosis and cancer.
what are pandemics
Pandemics are global outbreaks of viral diseases that cause widespread illness and disruption. Key examples include HIV/AIDS, which remains a chronic global issue; Influenza pandemics, which occur periodically; and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), which demonstrated how rapidly a virus can spread in a connected world and highlighted the importance of public health infrastructure and vaccine development.
What historical trend in infant mortality is illustrated by the Swedish mortality graph from the 1860s to today?
In the 1860s, infants born in Sweden had a very high likelihood of dying within their first year of life. Over the last 130 years, this risk has dramatically declined due to improvements in public health, such as access to clean water, sanitation, vaccinations, and antibiotics. Today, in wealthy industrialised nations, infants are almost certain to survive infancy and live well into adulthood.
There was also a sharp increase deaths among people in their early 20s in 1918 which represents the Spanish Flu pandemic. Unlike most infectious diseases, which primarily affect the very young and elderly, this influenza strain disproportionately killed young, healthy adults, making it an epidemiological anomaly and a historical warning about the unpredictable nature of viral evolution and pandemic impact.
Why were those in their 20s and 30s so affected by the Spanish Flu
This pattern is thought to be related to an overreaction of the immune system (a cytokine storm), which is strongest in healthy individuals of that age group.
What lessons does the 1918 flu offer for modern epidemiology and public health?
The 1918 pandemic serves as a stark reminder that viral outbreaks can be unpredictable in their severity and demographic impact. It underscores the importance of pandemic preparedness, global surveillance, and rapid response strategies. It also highlights the need to study viral evolution and the socio-political factors that influence public health outcomes.
What is the overall global trend in life expectancy and disease burden shown in the graph?
Over time, the probability of surviving from birth into old age has significantly increased in developed countries due to advances in public health and medicine. However, while wealthy nations now face more non-communicable, lifestyle-related diseases, lower-income regions still struggle with high rates of infectious disease, especially in early childhood.
What role does wealth play in determining the burden of infectious disease?
Wealth has a profound impact on how severely infectious diseases affect individuals and populations. In wealthy nations or among wealthier individuals, infectious disease burden is relatively low and lifestyle-related diseases (like obesity and heart disease) are more prevalent. In contrast, people living in poverty, whether in low-income countries or as disadvantaged groups within high-income countries, face a much greater risk of infectious diseases due to limited access to healthcare, poor sanitation, and undernutrition
what are examples of diseases in wealthy vs people living in poverty
wealthy : Stroke, Lung cancer, breast cancer, back pain, anxiety and depression, COPD, Diabetes, Drugs, Asthma, Cirrhosis, falls and self harm
pore : Neonatal, HIV, Malaria, Diarrhea, Meninitis, Low iron, Congenital, TB, (infection much higher although do have causes of other conditions e.g. diabetes, cirrhosis, asthma, depression and anxiety….)
Why are infants especially vulnerable to infectious diseases globally?
Infants, particularly those in low-income settings, are highly susceptible to infectious diseases because their immune systems are still developing. This vulnerability is compounded by factors like poor sanitation, lack of access to clean water, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, and low vaccination rates. In high-income countries, these risks are largely mitigated through public health measures and medical interventions.
How do pandemics like SARS-CoV-2 affect the world beyond direct mortality?
Pandemics like SARS-CoV-2 have broad societal consequences that go far beyond just the number of deaths. While many deaths are recorded on certificates, the true impact includes economic downturns, rising unemployment, widespread mental health challenges, social isolation, disrupted education, and strain on healthcare systems. These indirect effects are profound but less easily quantified.
What are examples of major human viral pathogens from the past, and what is their current status?
Viruses like smallpox have been successfully eradicated, a landmark in public health history. Others, such as yellow fever and poliovirus, are largely controlled, though polio still persists in a few regions. Despite decades of effort, polio remains a target for eradication.
In short
- Small Pox X
-YellowFever ~
- Polio Virus -
Which major viral infections currently impact human health, particularly in the UK?
Viruses like SARS-CoV-2, Hepatitis B & C, HIV, Human papillomavirus (HPV), herpes viruses, and influenza are key public health concerns in the UK. Measles and RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) also remain problematic, especially among children. Though not common in the UK, arboviruses (e.g., dengue and yellow fever) are studied here due to their global importance
What types of viruses may emerge as future public health threats?
Potential threats include known but under-monitored viruses such as hantavirus, Ebola, and Marburg, as well as theoretical or yet-to-be-isolated variants like SARS-CoV-3 or MERS-CoV-2. Factors such as human encroachment into wildlife habitats, global travel, and climate change increase the risk of new zoonotic spillovers and mutations that could lead to pandemics.
Why can relatively common viral infections still be dangerous?
Even viruses typically seen as mild—such as adenovirus, rhinovirus, or respiratory syncytial virus—can become life-threatening for the very young, elderly, or immunocompromised individuals. For example, adenovirus is usually benign, but in immunosuppressed patients (e.g., bone marrow transplant recipients or those in hospitals), it can be lethal.
Why is vigilance still needed even for familiar viruses like influenza and RSV?
Influenza and RSV continue to cause seasonal epidemics and high hospitalisation rates, particularly in young children, the elderly, and those with underlying conditions. Their ability to mutate and re-emerge in more virulent forms makes them continual threats. Innovations like updated vaccines and monoclonal antibodies (for RSV) are critical tools in controlling their spread.
What are the characteristics of viruses that are considered high-risk for global health in the future?
High-risk viruses often share features like zoonotic origin, high transmissibility, mutation potential, immune evasion, and a lack of available treatments or vaccines. Examples include hantavirus, Ebola, Marburg, and theoretical future coronaviruses like SARS-CoV-3 or MERS-CoV-2.
How does SARS-CoV-2 mortality compare to influenza and RSV in young children?
SARS-CoV-2 shows almost no mortality in infants and young children (under 10), unlike influenza and RSV, which cause significant deaths in this age group. In the Dutch data (1997–2003), mortality from influenza/RSV in infants aged 0–1 year is ~5 deaths per 100,000 per week, while COVID-19 shows near 0% mortality in this group.
What trend does the early pandemic COVID-19 mortality chart show across age groups?
COVID-19 mortality increases steadily with age, becoming most pronounced in people over 60 years old, with the highest death rates in the 80+ group. Young people, especially under 20, had negligible mortality rates in early data from South Korea, Spain China, and Italy.
Why was the low COVID-19 mortality in infants surprising at the time?
Initially, many feared SARS-CoV-2 would follow the same pattern as influenza and RSV, which disproportionately affect infants. However, data showed young children were surprisingly resilient to COVID-19, leading to reassessments of age-related risk.
What does the RSV mortality data reveal about its public perception vs. actual risk?
RSV causes similar mortality to influenza, particularly in the very young and the elderly, but it remains less well-known to the public. Despite its impact, RSV has historically lacked the same level of attention or awareness.
