Human Respiratory Viral Infections PDF

Preface

Respiratory virus infections have a major impact on human health. Acute human respiratory viral infections are the most common infections worldwide. Upper respiratory tract viral infections such as the common cold are exceedingly prevalent in infants, young children, and adults. These respiratory viral infections can also lead to complications such as acute otitis media and asthma exacerbation. However, lower respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia, bronchitis, and bronchiolitis occur less frequently.

Clinical presentations of respiratory viral infections overlap among those caused by various viruses and even bacteria. Accurate diagnosis of respiratory viral infections helps in patient management and prevention of secondary spread. Our understanding of human respiratory viral infections has increased exponentially over the past few decades. The diagnosis of respiratory viral infections has evolved substantially in recent years, with the development of novel molecular detection methods as well as a better understanding of virus structures and functional relationships with their hosts, better recognition of the true correlates of protection in many viral infections, and progress in vaccine development. On the one hand, we are equipped with better diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies, and on the other hand, we are challenged by different viruses every day. This book describes up-to-date information on speci™c respiratory viral infections, diagnostic methods, and the newer technology platforms for the detection of respiratory viruses.

The book is divided into two sections. The ™rst section addresses general aspects such as the anatomy of the human respiratory system, immunological interactions in lungs during infection, aerosol spread and communicability of viruses infecting the respiratory system, environmental variables affecting the transmission of viruses, infection control and prevention, and clinical and laboratory diagnosis of respiratory viral infections. The second section of this book covers the speci™c viruses infecting the respiratory system such as adenoviruses, rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, human in“uenza virus, swine and avian in“uenza viruses affecting human population, parain“uenza virus, coronavirus, metapneumovirus, henipavirus, bocavirus, and mixed respiratory viral infections. Overall, this book deals with the basic and applied aspects of virology, focusing on the human respiratory viral infection mechanisms of the pathogenesis of speci™c viruses, diagnosis, treatment, epidemiology, and vaccine-related research.

This book has been written in order to provide an overview of human respiratory viral infections to basic scientists, biomedical researchers, medical and basic science students and scholars, physicians, pediatricians, pulmonologists, epidemiologists, virologists, molecular biologists, immunologists, vaccinologists, and microbiologists.

I have greatly enjoyed my interaction with the large panel of internationally renowned virologists, biomedical scientists, and infectious disease experts whose enthusiasm and commitment have led to the production of great chapters for this book. The professional support provided by Taylor & Francis Group/CRC Press greatly contributed to the ™nal presentation of the book. I am highly thankful to my family and parents for their understanding and continuous support during the compilation of this book.