12/31/2023 0 Comments Major havoc main pcb reporduction![]() Detecting variants early in their lifecycle allows scientists to quickly determine important factors such as the rate the variant is spreading, the severity of disease, whether existing diagnostic tests will detect the variant, and whether existing vaccines will protect against the variant. Genomic surveillance is vital for detecting and characterizing new variants as they arise, a crucial part of the effort to control viral outbreaks. By consistently sequencing viral genomes from many infected individuals, researchers can monitor how the virus changes over time, understand how these changes affect the characteristics of the virus, and use this information to better understand how it might impact an individual’s health. In addition to helping treat and prevent viruses, scientists and epidemiologists also use viral genome sequencing for genomic surveillance to track and monitor the spread of viral outbreaks. Why is genomic surveillance important during an outbreak? Knowledge gained from the genomic sequence of a virus can help scientists discover drugs and treatments to alleviate disease in infected individuals and produce vaccines to prevent infection with the virus. By studying the genetic code, scientists can pinpoint mutations that viruses may have picked up over time. Genome sequencing is a process that helps scientists decipher the sequence of DNA and RNA nucleotides that make up each virus’s genetic code. ![]() Scientists are able to determine how the influenza virus has changed thanks to genome sequencing. Mutations in the genes that code for these proteins occur frequently which is the main reason that people can get the flu more than one time and why the flu vaccine composition must be updated each year. The influenza virus has proteins on its surface that are recognized by the immune system. However, a small proportion of the mutations may enable the virus a beneficial edge, allowing it to infect the host better, spread from individual to individual faster, or survive longer outside of a host for example. Most mutations will have no effect, or will have a detrimental effect on the virus itself. The new viral particles can be passed to another individual through bodily fluids, for example the flu is generally transmitted through sneezes or coughs.īecause viruses replicate so quickly, they can quickly develop random mutations in their DNA or RNA. Replicating viral cells damage or weaken host cells which can cause symptoms of disease like fever, body ache, and other tissue specific symptoms. Once inside the host cell, the virus hijacks the cell’s reproductive machinery and copies its own genetic material to make more viral particles. For example, human flu viruses and SARS-CoV-2 viruses have proteins on their surface that bind to matching receptors on human respiratory cells. Many viruses have evolved specific interactions with host cells to achieve infection. When a virus enters a host (usually through the mouth, eyes, nose, or open wounds in the skin), it must quickly mount a successful infection before it is caught and killed by the host’s immune system. To successfully survive and reproduce, viruses must move through three stages: contact with a susceptible host, infection and replication within the host, and transmission to other individuals. Viruses cannot replicate on their own and rely on host cells for replication. Viral particles consist of DNA or RNA wrapped in a protective layer of proteins. Viruses are microbes that can infect nearly all forms of life. What are viruses and why are their genomes so useful? Let’s learn more about how scientists use genomics to help combat viral pandemics. Advances in genomic technologies have given scientists the ability to study viruses at a genetic level, allowing them to find ways to target the virus with drugs, make vaccines to prevent infection with the virus, and track and monitor the spread of viral outbreaks. ![]() The ability to quickly identify and start combating viruses is paramount in minimizing death and devastation. Others, like the SARS-CoV-2 virus, emerge anew and cause widespread outbreaks before they can be identified and controlled. Some viruses, like influenza and HIV, are endemic foes, existing at constant levels in certain areas throughout the world. Viruses are tiny organisms that can wreak major havoc on human health worldwide, something that we have all witnessed first hand over the past year and a half.
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