What is Disease Viruses ? Who are they?
Humans have known and feared diseases caused by viruses for thousands of years. Among the diseases that viruses cause are influenza, smallpox, infectious hepatitis, yellow fever, polio, rabies, and AIDS, as well as many other diseases not as well known. In addition, viruses have been implicated in some cancers and leukemias. For many autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, and for diabetes, specific viruses have been found associated with certain cases.
In view of their effects, it is easy to see why the late Sir Peter Medawar, Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, wrote, “A virus is a piece of bad news wrapped in protein.”
Viruses not only cause many human diseases, but also cause major losses in agriculture, forestry, and in the productivity of natural ecosystems.
