Tests for viral infections

Diseases requiring examination

Most infections have a so-called hidden or latent course, during which they either show no symptoms or mask themselves as other diseases. The strength of the human immune system suppresses the activity of harmful microorganisms. In this case, the infected person, although appearing healthy, becomes a carrier and infects those around them.

Moreover, the impact of a viral infection in the form of latent carriage on the patient's own health is quite negative. Such a person may frequently suffer from colds and experience weakened immunity. Inflammation of mucous membranes, gynaecological and urological problems may occur. Viral infections pose a particular danger to pregnant women, as many viruses in this group adversely affect the foetus, even leading to miscarriage and stillbirth.

Below we list common viral diseases that remain asymptomatic for a long time but exert an extremely negative impact on the health of an adult.

1. 1. Cytomegaly

The causative agent of this viral disease, which spreads through various routes (contact, alimentary, sexual, haemotransfusion), is the cytomegalovirus.

The course of this disease in an adult's body is usually unnoticed. Occasionally, a mononucleosis-like symptom resembling a common cold may appear.

If the patient's immune system is weakened, cytomegaly can affect the main systems and organs of the body and even cause death.

1. 2. Herpes infection

This infectious disease is caused by the herpes simplex virus, which most often manifests as the well-known "cold sore" on the lip. It is effectively incurable: once the microorganism enters the body, it cannot be eliminated by any medication and remains permanently.

However, there is no particular reason for alarm: herpes infection rarely manifests itself in any way other than periodic inflammation of the lip mucosa. There is also a variant of this infection known as genital herpes, which appears on the mucous membranes of the genital organs.

1. 3. Human papillomavirus

Apparently, this is the most common viral infection nowadays. Human papillomavirus manifests as the appearance of various skin growths: papillomas, warts, and pointed or flat condylomas. Such epidermal growths generally do not pose a danger to health, but they can temporarily cause discomfort due to their aesthetic unattractiveness.

However, it should not be forgotten that there are hundreds of types of papillomavirus, although they all manifest in the same way, and that some types can provoke the development of oncology, such as skin and mucous membrane cancer.

In addition to viral, infectious diseases can have other origins. They may be caused by bacteria, fungi, or protozoa. It is these types of microscopic organisms that cause ailments such as candidiasis, ureaplasmosis, toxoplasmosis, chlamydia, and mycoplasmosis.

Detailed information on the website CMD-online.ru