VIROLOGY
Often considered a part of microbiology or of pathology, virology is the study of biological viruses and virus-like agents: their structure, classification and evolution, their ways to infect and exploit cells for virus reproduction, the diseases they cause, the techniques to isolate and culture them, and their potential uses in research and therapy.
The latest report by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (2005) lists 5450 viruses, organized in over 2,000 species, 287 genera, 73 families and 3 orders. One main motivation for the study of viruses is the fact that they cause many important infectious diseases, among them the common cold, influenza, rabies, measles, many forms of diarrhea, hepatitis, yellow fever, polio, smallpox and AIDS. Some viruses, known as oncoviruses, contribute to certain forms of cancer; the best studied example is the association between Human papillomavirus and cervical cancer. Some subviral particles also cause disease: Kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are caused by prions, and hepatitis D is due to a satellite virus.
Related areas include: genetics, infection control, microbiology, viral research, immunology and epidemiology.
This group was created to help virologists and other scientists exchange information. It is open to all people regardless of their color, gender, age, religion, nationality...etc.
Please notice under Group Email Addresses below on this page the related link to our popular science Yahoo! health care group Flu Pandemic.
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