Viral shedding

Viral Shedding

Viral shedding (/ˈvaɪrəl ˈʃɛdɪŋ/) refers to the expulsion and release of virus particles following successful virus replication inside the host cell.

Etymology

The term "viral shedding" is derived from the English words "virus" and "shedding". "Virus" comes from the Latin virus meaning poison or venom, and "shedding" comes from the Old English sceadan meaning to divide or separate.

Process

Viral shedding is a crucial part of the viral life cycle. After a virus infects a host cell and replicates, the new virus particles must exit the cell to infect other cells. This process of releasing new virus particles is known as viral shedding. The virus can be shed in various bodily fluids, such as saliva, urine, feces, and blood.

Detection

Viral shedding can be detected through various diagnostic tests, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which can identify the presence of viral genetic material in a sample.

Clinical Significance

Viral shedding is significant in the context of infectious disease transmission. An individual who is shedding virus is potentially infectious to others. The duration and quantity of viral shedding can influence the spread of the virus in a population.

Related Terms

• Virus replication
• Infectious disease
• Polymerase chain reaction

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Viral shedding
• Wikipedia's article - Viral shedding

This WikiMD article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.

---

Languages: - East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski