Antiviral agents

Antiviral agents (pronunciation: an-tee-vy-ruhl ey-jents) are a class of medication used specifically for treating viral infections. Unlike most antibiotics, which destroy bacterial pathogens, antiviral agents inhibit the development of the virus.

Etymology

The term "antiviral" is derived from the Latin 'anti-' meaning 'against' and 'virus' meaning 'poison'. The term "agent" comes from the Latin 'agens' meaning 'doing' or 'performing'.

Types of Antiviral Agents

There are several types of antiviral agents, each designed to combat a specific type of virus. Some of the most common include:

Mechanism of Action

Antiviral agents work by inhibiting the development of viruses. They do this by interfering with the virus's ability to replicate within a host cell. This can be achieved in several ways, such as by blocking the virus's access to the host cell, inhibiting the virus's ability to uncoat its genetic material, or preventing the virus from assembling and releasing new virus particles.

Related Terms

Antiretroviral therapy: A treatment for HIV that uses antiviral agents to suppress the virus.
Antiviral drug resistance: A phenomenon in which a virus evolves to resist the effects of an antiviral agent.
Prophylaxis: The use of antiviral agents to prevent viral infections.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Antiviral agents
Wikipedia's article - Antiviral agents

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Antiviral agents