Virus Host Interactions:

Virus Infections
At the cellular level

 Abortive infection
 Lysis or cell death

 Cellular proliferation

 Malignant transformation
Inclusion Bodies
 Crystallineaggregates of virions (or)
degenerative changes produced by virus
 Confers altered staining properties on
the cell
 Staining by Giemsa (or) Eosin Methylene
blue
 Demonstrated by light microscopy
Contd..
 Distinctsize, shape, location & distinct
staining properties
 Generally acidophillic
Examples

Negri bodies Bollinger Bodies

Cowdry type A CMV inclusion bodies

Pathogenesis of viral Infection
Latent Infection – Herpes Zoster
Pathogenesis – Mouse Pox (eg..)
Routes of entry and shedding
Cycle of infection
Entry Shedding
Primary site
Local
Lymphatic
Spread Neuronal
Blood (viremia)

Secondary sites
Shedding
Local versus Disseminated Infections

 LOCAL INFECTIONS :
Viral replication restricted to portal of entry.
Short incubation period.
Examples: rhinoviruses, influenza
 DISSEMINATED INFECTIONS:
Virus spreads to tissues beyond portal of
entry. Usually have prolonged incubation periods.
Examples: measles, rabies
Non immunological responses
 Interferons are host coded proteins
produced by cells on induction by viral
(or) non-viral inducers.
 No direct action on viruses, but render
the cells of same species ( from previous
infection) – refractory to virus infection
What types of specimens are collected to
diagnose?

• Respiratory tract infections: Nasal and bronchial washings, throat

and nasal swabs, sputum
• Eye infections: throat and conjunctival swab/scraping
• Gastrointestinal tract infections: stool and rectal swabs
• Vesicular rash: vesicle fluid, skin scrapings
• Maculopapular rash: throat, stool, and rectal swabs
• CNS (encephalitis and meningitis cases): stool, tissue, saliva, brain
biopsy, cerebrospinal fluid
• Genital infections: vesicle fluid or swab
• Urinary tract infections: urine
• Bloodborne infections: blood
Three General Approaches for Laboratory
Diagnosis of Viral Infections

 Direct detection
• Microscopy or staining
 VirusIsolation
 Molecular Techniques - PCR

 Serology

• Antibodies – ELISA, Hemagglutination Test &

Complement Fixation Test
 Direct Detection
 Electron Microscopy
• Examine specimen for viruses
 Immuno-electron Microscopy
• Labeled antibody
 Immunoflourescence

• Fluorescent tag bound to

Fc region of Ab
 Virus Isolation
 CellCulture techniques
 Animal Inoculation

 Embryonated Egg Inoculation

Figure 5.17a: Tissue culture cells are
grown on coverslips on the bottom of
shell vials.

Reproduced from Athmanathan, S., S. R. Bandlapally, and G. N. Rao, BMC Clin. Pathol.
2 (2002): 1-5.

Figure 5.17b: Detection of Herpes

Virus Simplex 1 using the shell vial
technique and immunofluorescence.
Anti viral drugs
Viral Vaccines