Avian Flu: The H5N1 Virus Introduction: When I started thinking about topics for my virology paper I drew a blank. Then I remembered that I was beginning to hear a lot about a new flu virus on the news. I was curious about it and I didn't know very much about it, because on the news they d...

Influenza: Types A and B Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a contagious disease caused by a virus infecting the reparatory tract. Influenza viruses are divided into three types, designated as A, B, and C. Influenza type C usually only causes either very mild symptoms or no symptoms at a...

Influenza: Types A and B Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a contagious disease caused by a virus infecting the reparatory tract. Influenza viruses are divided into three types, designated as A, B, and C. Influenza type C usually only causes either very mild symptoms or no symptoms at al...

You are coughing, sneezing, have a runny nose and your body aches. Most of us have had the flu and know exactly the symptoms I am speaking of. Well, what if you went to your doctor and were treated with antibiotics and such, but just didn't get well. Would you think twice about it? Would you wonder ...

In the 1950's, summertime was a time of fear for many parents. Summertime was the season when children by the hundreds became infected with the crippling disease "poliomyelitis". This fear was finally lifted when it was announced that Dr. Jonas Salk had developed a vaccine against the disease. Salk...

HOW ABOUT VIRUSES? Just like bacteria viruses are one of the microbes that are winning the match against the humans. Viruses were the toughest one to tackle for the scientist. The shape, contents and their protective shields were the most challenging part of the fight. There are many ways...

Nature's Wrath "Nature is our host and we are the parasite." In the book, The Hot Zone, Mr. Preston has explained one of the most feared things known to mankind, the virus. Even though as small as a needle head, it can kill humans faster than any weapon ever made. The actual vi...

Spanish Influenza Epidemic Influenza is and acute infectious and Contagious disease sometimes becoming Pandemic. It is characterized by an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. Epidemics of this disease have been recorded as early as 1510. The Influenza pandemic of 1...

Avian Influenza is a contagious virus that usually infects all species of birds, but it has recently been tracked to infect humans as well, putting many people at fear of an influenza pandemic. This virus is normally found in free flying birds for example, shorebirds, gulls and other seabir...

The Flu Epidemic of 1918 Walking down any given street in the year 1918 between the months of June and December, one would take notice of coffins lining the sidewalks. Nobody was on the streets, and dead bodies were stuffed into every available space. The Flu Epidemic of 1918 not only was the mo...

SARS is a severe acute respiratory syndrome that was first detected in southern China in 2002. It received national attention when Hong Kong when there was an explosive outbreak. A global emergency was declared by the World Health Organization, in which a team of microbiologists, epidemiologists ...