Question

Write short notes on any two viral diseases in man.

Answer 1

Rabies disease: Rabies virus belongs to the rhabdovirus family. It causes infections in domestic and wild mammals. The transmission to human to humans occurs through the bite of an infected animal. In humans, the symptoms of rabies are headache, high fever, muscular spasms in throat and chest, hydrophobia etc. The new rabies vaccine is an inactivated vaccine prepared from the virus propagated in cultures of diploid human cells. This vaccine is both safe and highly immunogenic.

Pox virus: Poxviruses are the largest of all viruses and are brick shaped. They contain double stranded DNA, protein and lipid. They have a dumb bell shaped nucleoid surrounded by two membrane layers. Variola virus is called the smallpox virus. It is transmitted by droplet infection. Smallpox has been completely eradicated. The smallpox vaccine consists of vaccinia. It gives protection both by humoral and cell-mediated immunity. Other poxviruses are chicken pox and measles viruses.