Adenoviral infection symptoms and treatment in adults

Everything about adenovirus infection symptoms and other characteristics

Viral infection (adenovirus) belongs to the Adenoviridae family (DNA viruses), the genus Mastadenovirus. Complications of adenovirus infection, widespread pathogens include respiratory catarrh, eye infections, gastrointestinal and urogenital infections, prostate adenoma.

Let's consider the following points: what is adenovirus infection treatment, adenovirus infection – it is capable of?

The typical symptoms of adenovirus infection may manifest in children and adults. The incubation period of the disease is 5-10 days, the virus is not only drip, but the digestive way, through sexual intercourse and contaminated sites. Some serotypes demonstrated oncogene diverse clinical picture from asymptomatic infections to severe, in exceptional cases, fatal organ damage (emaciated people or people with weakened immune systems). Most often we are talking about the lungs of the respiratory, intestinal or ocular infections. Diseases caused by adenoviruses are endemic throughout the year in all age groups but is most often attacked by students. The virus spreads quickly in enclosed spaces, where able to bring to the beginning of the epidemic.

Adenoviruses cause respiratory diseases, especially upper respiratory tract, resembling the common cold, pharyngitis or tonsillitis, and frequently affect children of preschool age. Adenovirus infection can penetrate into the lower respiratory tract and cause bronchitis or even pneumonia. Especially in infants and children (rarely in adults) may develop a severe form of pneumonia. In children, adenoviruses can also cause gastrointestinal illness with symptoms such as diarrhoea with fever, nausea and vomiting. This feature, as eye irritation, fever, headaches and stomach pain also applies to diseases caused by this type of viruses.

Adenoviruses – viruses that shell-less, with a size of about 60-90 nm. They additionally contain gekson, pectin and fiber, which are responsible for the induction of typical and specific groups of antibodies. In the human body known 34 distinctive type (i.e., serotypes).

Adenoviruses cause fever and respiratory diseases, sore throat and cough.

Look inside of adenoviruses

The researchers examined the internal structure of the adenovirus. It is the largest object that people could know in detail the positions of individual atoms. The results of this study can be used, for example, in order to identify the symptoms and treatment of hereditary diseases.

Adenoviruses were discovered more than half a century ago, and are among the causative agents of colds and runny nose. They are, as already indicated above, can affect the eyes and intestines. In people with a weakened immune system can cause serious disease.

The use of adenoviral infections – treatment gene therapy

Can benefit adenovirus infection and adenovirus infection.

Modern medicine uses viruses this type of gene therapy designed to treat a person suffering from a hereditary disease by entering its body intact gene. As a "Trojan horse" for the introduction of the intact gene used adenoviruses that have been modified using genetic engineering. The safety of such interventions is limited by the lack of knowledge about the detailed structure of the virus.

"In order to change something, you must know how it originally looked," says the modifications of adenovirus required for gene therapy, lead researcher Glen Nemerow from the California research InstituteSCRIPPS.

Scientists know the structure of some proteins involved in the construction of human adenoviruses. The detailed structure of entire viral particles, however, remained a mystery. No wonder. The adenovirus is composed of millions of protein molecules. The path of American scientists for the depth of knowledge that ultimately lasted longer than the mythical Odysseus…

The team of Nemerow beginning the study of adenovirus in 1998. For these purposes, was used x-ray crystallography, which allowed to deduce the molecular structure from diffraction of x-rays by protein crystals. None of the scientists have any idea how long will be this way. Huge difficulties arose already during the preparation of viral protein crystals for crystallographic studies. Ultimately, protein crystals have been entrusted to the robotic device that is able to work with small volumes of reaction mixtures. Instead of MICS of volume commonly used in traditional practice, the robot was able to prepare high-quality crystals in droplets, 50 nanolitres. When the prepared crystals was investigated using the radiation obtained in a recent synchrotron at the Argonne national laboratory in Chicago, received the images of protein molecules with a resolution of 3.5 Angstrom (3.5 x 10-10 m).

Based on the studies that lasted for 12 years, scientists from hundreds of top protein crystals to determine how is composed of a viral particle, and how it works. The virus should be stable enough to survive in a hostile environment. At the same time, it needs after penetration into the cell is easily decomposed into separate components. From the structure as it was described by Glen Nemerow and his colleagues in the pages of the prestigious scientific journal "Science", it is obvious where the strengths of the virus, and weak. Today, scientists can choose when modifying viruses such procedures, which will not reduce the stability of the viral particles, while allowing therapeutic virus to do its work inside the cell.

Genetically modified adenoviruses are used about ¼ of gene therapy. Diseases that can be treated with them include cancer and cardiovascular disease.

What else should I know about adenovirus?

Adenoviral infection... Treatment... Infection... Treatment adenoviral adenoviral infection... For many this is the confusing terminology. But they are quite a common phenomenon.

Needless to say, the term "adenovirus" does not mean only one virus. 57 known serotypes, and all of them, however, can greatly complicate life. As already mentioned, infection with adenovirus is not difficult, as the virus is spread not only by drops but by the gastrointestinal tract and intercourse. Adenoviruses are living around us, flying in the air, can be in the water in the pool, at the objects of daily use. They can even be food…

These "creatures" can really hurt people. Although, not just humans –to be ill with adenovirus may be a dog, bird, horse, cattle and mouse. To get rid of them very difficult, but to get very easily. The most risky environment are small stuffy rooms, in which there is a large number of people. In such a situation can be born epidemic. Adenoviruses are spread in all generations and floors, but more often affects children of preschool and school age. The younger the child is infected with the virus of this type, the worse, usually in the course of the disease (but not necessarily). However, the fact is that until the age of 10 years with disease caused by adenoviruses, meets every child at least once.

Adenovirus infections are common worldwide and occur throughout the year. They were recently investigated as causative agents of diseases with high mortality rates in patients with weakened immune systems.

Clinical signs include the following diseases:

1. Pneumonia.
2. Hepatitis.
3. Hemorrhagic cystitis.
4. Colitis.
5. Pancreatitis.
6. Meningoencephalitis.
7. Disseminated disease according to the affected organ, age and serotype in humans.

If the appearance of the disease there is a suspicion or assumption about the presence of adenovirus, the samples must be tested using PCR for the detection of blood, since adenoviral DNA from the blood has prognostic value for the prevalence of the disease. Monitoring of blood samples is standard practice in recipients of marrow transplants, especially in the pediatric population.

Diseases caused by adenoviruses

Once infected with adenovirus disease develops within 2-14 days after infection. These viruses are responsible for many diseases. Most often we are talking about the following diseases:

1. Respiratory infection.
2. Eye inflammation.
3. Infections of the gastrointestinal tract and the genitourinary system.

Respiratory tract infection

Very often, the adenoviruses cause disease,the typical symptoms of flu, but, in contrast, have a much more colorful clinical picture. Is the pain in joints and muscles, fever, cough, swollen lymph nodes, headache and soreness of the throat. In addition to the "common cold", however, the adenovirus can cause viral tonsillitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, and even viral pneumonia. While it may seem that the course of the disease is dramatic, and it is therefore necessary to take a course of antibiotics, be aware that the virus can never be cured with antibiotics. Will help bed rest, plenty of fluids and fiber, vitamins and patience. Diseases of the respiratory system, fortunately usually do not last long, a maximum of 10 days. Attention should be paid to the cough caused by adenoviruses, which is quite often persists after recovery (about 2-4 weeks). Diseases caused by adenoviruses, currently, is 10% of all respiratory diseases, particularly in children.

Viral conjunctivitis

Often comes in combination with adenoviral respiratory disease. Refers to this and conjunctivitis eyelids. Eye problems usually are resolved within weeks. In the case of corneal ulcer healing should be expected in a time range from 1 to 4 weeks.

Intestinal problems

Adenoviruses in the intestines and stomach better known under the term of rotavirus infection, which is very persistent and annoying.

These infections are accompanied by the following symptoms:

1. Diarrhea.
2. Vomiting.
3. Nausea.
4. High temperature.
5. Headache.
6. Spasms in the abdomen.

Sometimes the course of the disease is so serious that a person may be due to dehydration be in the hospital. However, no such disease is not treated with antibiotics! The mainstay of treatment is plenty of fluids, and black tea at room temperature, which in case of vomiting should drink a teaspoon. Another element is that you need to install a very strict diet, which excluded white sugar that you can substitute grape (it can take one teaspoon to strengthen the weakened body). From food needs to be eliminated all fat. Forget about nourishing chicken broth, which is excellent at high temperature, but, at the same time, has a laxative effect. It is important to note that dietary regimen should be maintained for at least 5 days (gradually, in a menu, you can add rice, carrot, beef, lean ham, etc.).

Urinary tract infection

Adenovirus infection manifests in the same way as other infections of the urinary tract. A person suffers from frequent urination, burning, pain in the lower abdomen and during urination, urine may contain blood.

Diseases of the Central nervous system

Adenovirus rarely affects the Central nervous system and usually is the major complication of respiratory infections.

Intestinal disorders

Clinical symptom

1. Diarrhea.
2. Watery stool.
3. Infection accompanied by fever and lasts for 1-2 weeks.

Diagnostics

Enteric adenoviruses are visualized by electron microscopy but cannot be cultivated in normal cells of human tissue with a defect in DNA replication.

Treatment of viral intestinal disorders

Treatment is only symptomatic: used food with a reduced number or absence of lactose. Intestinal disinfectants (lactic acid bacteria) are a useful addition to the diet. In cases of severe dehydration (fluid loss in diarrhea is higher than 10 ml/kg) would require treatment by parenteral replenishment of fluid, electrolytes and correction of metabolic acidosis. Antibiotic therapy is indicated only in severe combined intestinal infections in children, the progress of which is complicated by other diseases.