What is RSV? RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus. RSV is a virus that can cause infections of the lower respiratory tract. Two types of lower respiratory tract infections are pneumonia (lung tissue infection) or bronchiolitis (bronchioles infection). RSV is one of the many causes of the common cold, as well as infections of the…
What is the Norovirus? Norovirus is a highly contagious virus that causes gastroenteritis which is inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Although norovirus is commonly referred to as the “stomach flu,” it is not related to the influenza virus which causes respiratory symptoms. Norovirus is spread from contaminated food or water, contaminated surfaces and close…
Virus Mutation? Viral mutations occur when viruses, which cannot reproduce on their own, infect a host and use the host’s cellular machinery to reproduce themselves. During this process, the genome, which is made of either DNA or RNA, depending on the type of virus, is replicated (copied). When the genome of any species is copied,…
