Current known viruses

Across a variety of roles and specializations, nursing professionals fight viruses in numerous ways. Some of their methods are direct, such as preventing surgical infections. Others are legislative in nature, such as advocating for care equality by questioning imbalanced care delivery systems.

Nurses also share their expertise with the public on a host of vital topics, such as care delivery models, infection prevention and the distribution of important resources.

Public health nurses were involved in managing the severe acute respiratory syndrome SARS outbreak in They did so by tracing contacts, educating the public regarding disease signs and symptoms and serving in research teams in related case control studies. Nursing researchers have also benefited HIV testing and prevention in Malawi via identifying the benefits of working with religious leaders to promote HIV testing and prevention behaviors. Additionally, nurses have developed family planning services in Kenya by providing childbearing families with the opportunity to space pregnancies to support the health of pregnant women.

Advanced practice nurses are uniquely qualified to conduct research and assist government leaders and public health officials in creating an informed response to viral outbreaks. The input and insight of experienced nurses will help prevent the spread of infectious diseases and ensure a healthier future.

Our innovative way of thinking makes us adaptable, but our focus on education makes us formidable. Skip to main content. Types of Viruses and How They Work Over many centuries and even millennia, infectious diseases such as smallpox and measles have claimed millions of lives. The Cost of Deadly Virus Infections Viruses gain their infamy through a combination of large infection rates and death, even when their power has been relatively subdued.

The Three Categories of Viruses There are three different virus types that are made distinct by their shape. How a Virus Spreads The first thing a virion does is enter a cell and becomes a virus. Treating Viruses Antiviral drugs can treat viruses by inhibiting viral development and slowing down disease progression. The Role of Advanced Practice Nurses Worldwide Around the world, nurses contribute to the prevention, management and containment of viral outbreaks by caring for infected patients and educating the public on prevention strategies.

The Invaluable Contribution of Nurses Across a variety of roles and specializations, nursing professionals fight viruses in numerous ways. This is a picture of an influenza flu A virus. Influenza A viruses are classified by subtypes based on the properties of their hemagglutinin H or HA and neuraminidase N or NA surface proteins. There are 18 different HA subtypes and 11 different NA subtypes.

Subtypes are named by combining the H and N numbers — e. Click on the image to enlarge the picture. There are four types of influenza viruses: A, B, C and D. Human influenza A and B viruses cause seasonal epidemics of disease known as flu season almost every winter in the United States. Influenza A viruses are the only influenza viruses known to cause flu pandemics, i. A pandemic can occur when a new and different influenza A virus emerges that both infects people and has the ability to spread efficiently among people.

Influenza C virus infections generally cause mild illness and are not thought to cause human epidemics. Influenza D viruses primarily affect cattle and are not known to infect or cause illness in people. Influenza A viruses are divided into subtypes based on two proteins on the surface of the virus: hemagglutinin H and neuraminidase N. There are 18 different hemagglutinin subtypes and 11 different neuraminidase subtypes H1 through H18 and N1 through N11, respectively.

Reassortment can occur when two influenza viruses infect a host at the same time and swap genetic information. This graphic shows the two types of influenza viruses A and B that cause most human illness and that are responsible for flu seasons each year.

Both influenza A and B viruses can be further classified into clades and sub-clades which are sometimes called groups and sub-groups. Note that this graphic is an example, and currently circulating influenza clades and subclades may differ from those presented here.

Figure 1 — This is a picture of a phylogenetic tree. Each sequence from a specific influenza virus has its own branch on the tree. The degree of genetic difference between viruses is represented by the length of the horizontal lines branches in the phylogenetic tree. What's this? Further Sources for Content about Specific Outbreaks. Designed for public health and medical communities. Note that outbreak material includes state health department investigations.

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