Hepatitis A virus (HAV) Hepatitis A virus (HAV) was originally called “infectious hepatitis” or “short-incubation hepatitis,” and has an incubation period of 3-4 weeks (range, 2-6.5 weeks). HAV is highly contagious. During active infection it is excreted in the stool and is usually transmitted via fecal contamination of water or food. However, infection by fecal […]
Rubella (German measles) is a very common infection of childhood, although primary infection can occur in adults. The major clinical importance of rubella is maternal infection during pregnancy, which may produce the congenital rubella syndrome in the fetus. The congenital rubella syndrome includes one or more of the following: congenital heart disease, cataracts, deafness, and […]
Culture. Until the 1980s, except in a relatively few cases the only available laboratory methods were culture and serologic tests for antibodies. There have been significant advances in culture techniques in the past few years, but most virus culture still is difficult and expensive. Culture is performed using living cell preparations or in living tissues. […]
Viral upper respiratory tract diseases Respiratory disease may take several forms, and the predominant etiologies are different in different age groups. Incidence statistics also vary depending on the geographic area and the population selected. Of the known viruses, rhinoviruses are predominantly associated with acute upper respiratory tract disease (including the common cold) in adults, whereas […]
