GEN CAMATO

DNA VIRUSES
MYCOLOGY AND VIROLOGY

DNA VIRUSES
r Herpesviridae
r Hepadnaviridae
r Adenoviridae
r Papillomaviridae
r Poxviridae
r Parvoviridae

1)

HERPESVIRIDAE

General characteristics

Genome: linear dsDNA

Icosahedral capsid

Outer envelope

Achieve latency and lifelong persistence in

their hosts

Certain stimuli, including stress, caffeine and

sunlight, can activate the virus

Synthesis of genome and assembly of

capsids occur in nucleus

Productive viral infection is accompanied by

inevitable cell destruction

Human Herpes Viruses

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) aka

human herpes virus type 1 (HHV-1)

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) aka

human herpes virus type 2 (HHV-2)

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV), aka HHV-3

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), aka HHV-4

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), aka HHV-5

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6)

Human herpesvirus 7 (HHV-7)

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) aka

Kaposi sarcoma herpes virus

Clinical infections

Oral Herpes

Usually causes by HSV-1

Incubation period varies from 2

days to 2 weeks

Primary infections usually

asymptomatic

Recurrent infections
characterized by an eruption of
small and usually painful blisters on
the skin of the lips, mouth, gums or
the skin around the mouth (cold
sore or herpes labialis)

Acute gingivostomatitis

The most common manifestation of

primary herpetic infection wherein
the patient experiences pain and
bleeding of the gums. 1-8mm
ulcers with necrotic bases are
present. Neck glands are
commonly enlarged accompanied
by fever.

Usually a self limiting disease

which lasts around 13 days

**Above the Belt HSV 1

**Below the Belt HSV 2

1.a Herpes Simplex Virus

HSV-1 & HSV-2

Belong to the subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae and genus

Simplexvirus

Infections are generally spread by contact with

contaminated secretions

Pathogenesis:
Primary infection, is usually subclinical in most
individual, occurs through break in mucous
membranes of the mouth or throat, via the eye or
genitals or directly via minor abrasions in skin

HSV spreads locally, causing short-lived viraemia,

whereby the virus is disseminated in the body and
spread to craniospinal ganglia

Latency in craniospinal ganglia

Reactivation may be provoked by physical or

psychological stress, infection; especially
pneumococcal, fever, irradiation; including sunlight,
and menstruation.

Genital herpes

Usually caused by HSV-2

Sites include the penis, vagina,

cervix, anus, vulva, bladder,, the
sacral nerve routes, the spinal and
the meninges

Dysuria is common complaint, in

severe cases; there may be urinary
retention.

Double the risk of sexual

transmission of HIV.

Infection may be acquired in utero,

intrapartum (during birth), or
Postnatally (after birth)

The infection is most commonly

transmitted during a vaginal
delivery

More severe when HSV-2 is

involved

Cesarean section or suppressive

antiviral therapy at delivery
significantly reduces the risk of
transmission

Acyclovir treatment

Organism that has the ability to

infect the body/ cross placenta

T TOxoplasma

R Rubella

C Cytomegalovirus

H Herpes virus

 GEN CAMATO

DNA VIRUSES
MYCOLOGY AND VIROLOGY

1.c Epstein-Barr virus

Transmission: close contact with infected saliva

Site of latency: B lymphocytes

Disease: infectious mononucleosis, progressive

lymphoreticular disease, oral hairy leukoplakia in HIVinfected patients

Detection: Serology, PCR

Oncogenic: Burkitts lymphoma, nasopharyngeal

carcinoma

Treatment: Supportive

Prevention: Avoid contact

Neonatal herpes

Infection may be acquired in utero,

intrapartum (during birth), or
postnatally (after birth). The
infection

Is most commonly transmitted

during a vaginal delivery

More severe when HSV-2 is

involved

Cesarean section or suppressive

antiviral therapy at delivery
significantly reduces the risk of
transmission.

HSV encephalitis

A rare but devastating disease,

with a mortality of about 70%

Caused by HSV-2 in neonates and

HSV-1 in older children and adults

Survival rates and clinical

Ocular herpes

A herpes simplex infection of the

conjunctiva can manifest as
swelling of the eyelids associated
with vesicles

Corneal involvement may result in

destructive ulceration and even
perforation of the cornea

Detection: Cell culture (HDF,

others) EIA, FA stain, PCR

Treatment: Acyclovir

Prevention: Avoid contact

1.d Cytomegalovirus

Transmission: close contact with infected secretions,

blood transfusions (WBCs), organ transplants,
transplacental

Site of latency: white blood cells, endothelial cells, cells

in a variety of organs

Disease: asymptomatic infection, congenital disease of

newborn, symptomatic disease of immunocompromised
host, heterophile-negative infectious mononucleosis

Diagnosis: cell culture (HDF), shell vial culture, CMV

atigenemia, FA stain, PCR stain

Treatment: Supportive, decrease immune suppression,

ganiclovir and foscarnet

Prevention: Use CMV antibody-negative blood and

tissue for transfusion and transplantation, respectively
1.e Human herpes viruses 6 & 7 (HHV 6 & 7)

Transmission: most likely close contact via respiratory

route; almost all children infected by age 2-3 years

Site of latency: T lymphocytes (CD4 cells)

Disease: Roseola (exanthema subitum), fever, malaise,

rash, leukopenia, and interstial pneumonitis in organ
transplant patients

Detection: detection of virus in peripheral blood

specimens by PCR, cell culture using lymphocyte lines

Treatment: Susceptible to Ganiclovir and Foscarnet

Prevention: None practical

1. b Varicella zoster virus (VZV)

Transmission: Close personal contact, especially

respiratory

Site of latency: Dorsal root ganglia

Disease: Chicken pox (varicella), shingles (zoster)

Chicken pox (Varicella)

Commonly appears in childhood

Includes symptoms such as a

mild febrile illness, rash, and
vesicular lesions

Lesions appear first on the head

and trunk and then spread to the
limbs

Lesions dry, crust over, and heal

in 1-2 weeks

Painful oral mucosal lesions may

develop, particularly in adults

1.f Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV 8)

Transmission: Not known; much less widely

disseminated than other herpesvirus

Site of latency: Viral genome

Disease: Kaposis sarcoma

Detection: PCR or in situ by hybridization

Treatment: None known

Prevention: avoid contact with virus

2)

Shingles (Zoster)

Clinical manifestation due to

reactivation of VZV and usually
occurs in adults

Reactivation: virus travels down

the nerve, and causes zoster

The most common presentation is

rash, followed by vesicular lesions
in a unilateral dermatome pattern

Detection: FA stain, cell culture

(HDF), shell vial culture, PCR

Treatment: Acyclovir and

famciclovir

Prevention: Vaccine
2

ADENOVIRIDAE

Virus: Adenovirus

Characteristics: Double-stranded DNA genome;

icosahedral capsid, no envelope; aprrox. 50 human
serotypes

Transmission: Respiratory, fecal-oral, and direct contact

(eye)

Site of latency: Replication in oropharynx

Disease: pharyngitis, pharyngoconjunctival fever,

keratocinjunctivitis, pneumonia, hemorrhagic cystitis,
disseminated disease, and gastroenteritis in children

Diagnosis: Cell culture (HEp-2 and other continues

human epithelial lines), EIA for gastroenteritis serotypes
40-41

Treatment: Supportive

Prevention: Vaccine (adenovirus serotypes 4 and 7) for

military recruits

 GEN CAMATO

DNA VIRUSES
MYCOLOGY AND VIROLOGY

3)

PAPILLOMAVIRIDAE

Characteristics: Double-stranded DNA genome;

icosahedral capsid, no envelope; includes papilloma
viruses

Virus: Human papilloma virus (HPV)

Characteristics: contains more than 200 DNA types

Transmission: direct contact, sexual contact for genital

warts

Site of latency: Epithelial tissue

Disease: Skin and genital warts, benign head and neck

tumors, anogenital warts

Oncogenic: Cervical and penile cancer (especially HPV

types 16 & 18)

Diagnosis: Cytology, DNA probes

Treatment: Spontaneous disappearance the rule;

surgical or chemical removal may be necessary

Prevention: Avoid contact with infected tissue

4)

POXVIRIDAE

Virus: Smallpox, molluscum contagiosum, orf and

monkeypox viruses

Characteristics: largest and most complex of all viruses;

brick-shaped virion with nonconforming symmetry
referred to as complex; double-stranded DNA genome

Transmission: Respiratory droplets (smallpox); direct

contact (molluscum, orf and monkeypox)

Disease:

Smallpox is a generalized infection with

pustular rash (10%-25% fatal)

Molluscum manifests as benign nodules of

skin

Orf manifests as localized papules/vesicles of

skin

Monkeypox as generalized infection including

skin

Detection: electron microscopy of material from skin

lesion, PCR

Epidemiology: smallpox eradicated from world in 1977;

smallpox and molluscum are limited to humans; orf and
monekypox are zoonoses

Treatment: Supportive

Prevention: vaccine for smallpox; avoid contact for all

viruses

5)

PARVOVIRIDAE

Viruses: Parvovirus B-19

Characteristics: Single-stranded DNA Virus;

icosahedral capsid, no envelope; parvovirus B-19 is
the only known human parvovirus

Transmission: close contact, probably respiratory

th

Disease: erythema infectiosum (5 disease), aplastic

crises in patients with chronic hemolytic anemias, and
fetal infection and stillbirth

Detection: Serology, PCR, histology

Treatment: Supportive

Prevention: Avoid contact

For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his

mouth cometh knowledge and
understanding.
- Proverbs 2:6