What Is Viral Pneumonia?

Pneumonia is an infection in one or both lungs.

It can be caused by a number of different germs,
including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. When
caused by viruses, it is known as viral
pneumonia.

What Causes It?
p to !" percent of pneumonia cases in adults
are thought to be caused by viruses. #hese
organisms are the most common cause of
pneumonia in children under the age of $. p to
!$ percent of all cases in children are thought to
be due to viruses (see Pneumonia in Children).

%ome of the viruses known to cause viral
pneumonia in adults and children include&

Influen'a viruses
Parainfluen'a viruses (which can cause
croup)
*uman metapneumovirus
+espiratory syncytial virus (+%V)
,denovirus
%evere acute respiratory syndrome
(%,+%)
*erpes 'oster virus.

-ost people get viral pneumonia within the
community (this is called community.ac/uired
viral pneumonia). Viral cases are less likely to
happen within the hospital.

%ymptoms of Viral Pneumonia
%ome common signs and symptoms of viral
pneumonia include&

, cough (it may be dry, but can also
produce green or yellow phlegm)
, rapid heart rate and0or breathing rate
1ever (often low.grade)
#rouble breathing
Chest pain when breathing or coughing
%hortness of breath.

2ften, symptoms of pneumonia will begin a
couple of days after a person has developed
upper respiratory symptoms, such as runny nose,
congestion, and sore throat.
3iagnosing Viral Pneumonia
Viral pneumonia can be hard to diagnose
because it may start out with symptoms similar
to those seen with the common cold or flu. #he
healthcare provider will consider your
symptoms, your medical history, and the results
from a physical e4am and tests when
determining if you have viral pneumonia.

#reating the Illness
Viral pneumonia isn5t treated with antibiotics ..
these medications don5t work when a virus
causes the pneumonia. Instead, a healthcare
provider may prescribe an antiviral medicine.

2ther treatment recommendations may include&

6etting plenty of rest (both at night and
during the day, if needed).

3rinking plenty of fluids. 3rinking
smaller amounts of fluid more often
might be easier than drinking more
fluids less often.

#aking acetaminophen (#ylenol
7
) or
ibuprofen (-otrin
7
, ,dvil
7
) to help with
any pain or fever. #hese medicines will
also help make coughing easier.
Coughing is good because it will help
clear the lungs of germs. 1or this reason,
cough.suppressant medicine is not
recommended.

Is Viral Pneumonia Contagious?
In general, a person with pneumonia is
contagious. It is unlikely, however, that this
person would give another person pneumonia.
Instead, when spread, the viruses that can cause
pneumonia are more likely to cause upper
respiratory infections, such as the common cold
or flu.

People can limit the spread of these viruses by&

Washing their hands regularly
8eeping their hands away from their
nose, mouth, and eyes
9imiting e4posure to infected people
:ot sharing drinking glasses or eating
utensils.
What Is the ;ellow 1ever Virus?
#he yellow fever virus is a flavivirus (virus
transmitted by mos/uitoes) that causes yellow
fever.

Where Is It 1ound?
#he yellow fever virus is found in certain parts
of ,frica and %outh ,merica.

In %outh ,merica, sporadic yellow fever virus
infections occur almost e4clusively in forestry
and agricultural workers, from occupational
e4posure in or near forests. Countries where this
occurs include& <olivia, <ra'il, Colombia,
=cuador, Vene'uela, 6uyana, 1rench 6uiana,
and Peru.

In ,frica, the yellow fever virus is transmitted in
three geographic regions&

#he moist savanna 'ones of West and
Central ,frica during the rainy season
(most common)
rban locations and villages
In >ungle regions (to a lesser e4tent).

,frican countries where the yellow fever virus is
located include&

,ngola
<enin
<urkina 1aso
<urundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central ,frican
+epublic
Chad
Congo
C?te d5Ivoire
3emocratic +epublic
of Congo
=/uatorial 6uinea
=thiopia
6abon
#he 6ambia
6hana
6uinea
6uinea.<issau
8enya
9iberia
-ali
-auritania
:iger
:igeria
+wanda
%@o #omA and
Principe
%enegal
%ierra 9eone
%omalia
%udan
#an'ania
#ogo
ganda.
*ow Is the ;ellow 1ever Virus #ransmitted?
#ransmission of the yellow fever virus occurs in
two main ways& urban (a mos/uito bites an
infected human) and sylvatic (mos/uito bites an
infected monkey).

rban
rban yellow fever virus transmission occurs
when a mos/uito bites an infected human. 2nce
infected, this mos/uito can then bite and infect
another human. #he infected mos/uito can
continue to pass along the yellow fever virus for
its entire life. Aedes aegypti is the type of
mos/uito that normally transmits this urban type
of yellow fever. #his type of yellow fever virus
transmission can lead to an epidemic of yellow
fever disease. 1or e4ample, in <ra'il in BCD!, at
least EB,""" individuals out of B.$ million
people became infected with the yellow fever
virus.

%ylvatic
%ylvatic yellow fever virus transmission occurs
when a mos/uito bites an infected monkey.
2nce infected, this mos/uito will usually bite
other monkeysF however, in certain cases, this
mos/uito can bite humans. #his type of yellow
fever virus transmission is more sporadic and
usually only occurs in people that work within
tropical rain forests. In =ast ,frica, this mode of
yellow fever transmission occurs through the
forest canopy mos/uito, A. africanus, which
seldom feeds on humans.

%ingle Vaccines #o Protect ,gainst <oth
+abies ,nd =bola
+esearchers from #homas Gefferson niversity
(please embed ), among other institutions,
including the :ational Institute of ,llergy and
Infectious 3iseases, have developed single
vaccines to protest against both rabies and the
=bola virus.
%uccessfully tested in mice, these bivalent
vaccines have several advantages over other
=bola candidates that could help speed up
development for use in humans and primates. It5s
built on the same platform as the already
approved and financially viable rabies vaccine,
and it protects at.risk populations against two
viruses, not >ust one, making it an effective and
ideal public health tool.
H-any =bola vaccine candidates have been
proven effective, but none are close to
licensure,H said -atthias %chnell, Ph.3., director
of the Gefferson Vaccine Center. H2ne of the
challenges is the market& #here5s rather limited
incentive in creating a vaccine for =bola. <ut
these vaccines could change that.H
#he findings were published ahead of print
online ,ugust BD in the Gournal of Virology.
#he =bola virus belongs to the 1iloviridae
family and is comprised of five distinct species.
#he IaJre, %udan and <undibugyo species have
been associated with large =bola hemorrhagic
fever outbreaks in ,frica. ,ccording to the
World *ealth 2rgani'ation, more than a
thousand people have died from the virus since
it was discovered in BCDK.
H+abies still poses a health threat for people
worldwide, and is especially devastating in
developing nations where a post e4posure
treatment is often not available. ,nd =bola still
e4ists in parts of Central ,frica and is also a
chief bioterrorism concern worldwide,H said 3r.
%chnell, who is also a Professor in the
3epartment of -icrobiology and Immunology at
#homas Gefferson niversity. H;ou can protect
these people from two very lethal diseases in an
area where they don5t have the best access to
medical care.H
#he purpose of this study was to identify novel
vaccine candidates for =bola with a ma4imum
potential of licensure and utili'ation.
+esearchers generated a chemically inactivated
and live rabies virus e4pressing the =bola IaJre
species glycoprotein using a reverse genetics
system based on the commonly.used rabies
vaccine. Immuni'ations with those vaccines, the
researchers found, induced immunity against
each virus and conferred protection from both
viruses in mice.
Piggy backing, in a sense, on the rabies vaccine
could accelerate development of vaccines that
protects against =bola because of the advanced
state of the rabies vaccine5s safety, production
and distribution, according to %chnell.
H,fter the vaccine has been tested in primates
and eventually humans, this new vaccine could
kill the proverbially two birds with one stone,H
he said.
#here are implications for nonhumans, too
gorillas, in particular. #he =bola virus has
eradicated thousands of gorillas, prompting the
World Conservation nion to raise their status
to Hcritically endangeredH in E""D, the first time
a mammal has become critically endangered as a
direct result of disease. Vaccinations, though
challenging, could stall those deaths.
What5s more, several human outbreaks have
been attributed to primate interaction or
handling, so providing a vaccine for our closest
relative could minimi'e that risk.
%ource& #homas Gefferson niversity
Virus ses 5%wiss ,rmy 8nife5 Protein #o
Cause Infection
In an advance in understanding -other :ature5s
copy machines, motors, assembly lines and other
biological nano.machines, scientists are
describing how a multipurpose protein on the
tail of a virus bores into bacteria like a drill bit,
clears the shavings out of the hole and enlarges
the hole. #hey report on the H%wiss ,rmy 8nifeH
protein, which enables the virus to pump its
genetic material into and thus infect bacteria, in
the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
,kio 8itao and colleagues focus on a group of
viruses termed Hbacteriophages,H which literally
means Hbacteria eaters.H #hese viruses infect
bacteria like E. coli and usually make the
bacteria dissolve. Infection involves in>ecting
their own 3:, or +:, into the bacteria, so that
the viral genetic material takes over control of
the bacteria. #he tools for doing so are among
numerous invisible nanomachines . so small that
$",""" would fit across the width of a human
hair . that work unnoticed in organisms ranging
from microbes to people.
#he scientists recreated intricate details of the
protein5s work as it helps the tail of the virus
infect E. coli bacteria. #heir computer models
show that the protein performs tasks in a regular
se/uence, starting with a screw.like motion as it
begins to penetrate the outer membrane of E.
coli. #he protein acts as a cell.puncturing bit, a
pipe to draw away membrane debris and a tool
to enlarge the puncture hole, among other
functions. #he infection process demonstrates Ha
case where a single.function protein ac/uired
multiple chemical functionsH as different parts of
its structure come in contact with bacterial
membrane proteins.
#he authors acknowledge funding from the
-inistry of =ducation, Culture, %ports, %cience
and #echnology.Gapan (-=L#) and Gapan
%cience and #echnology ,gency (G%#).
Scientists Copy The Ways Viruses Deliver
Genes
%cientists at the :ational Physical 9aboratory
(:P9) have mimicked the ways viruses infect
human cells and deliver their genetic material.
#he research hopes to apply the approach to
gene therapy . a therapeutic strategy to correct
defective genes such as those that cause cancer.
6ene therapy is still in its infancy, with obvious
challenges around targeting damaged cells and
creating corrective genes. ,n e/ually important
challenge, addressed by this research, is finding
ways to transport the corrective genes into the
cell. #his is a problem, because of the poor
permeability of cell membranes.
#his research describes a model peptide
se/uence, dubbed 6e# (gene transporter), which
wraps around genes, transports them through
cell membranes and helps their escape from
intracellular degradation traps. #he process
mimics the mechanisms viruses use to infect
human cells.
6e# was designed to undergo differential
membrane.induced folding . a process whereby
the peptide changes its structure in response to
only one type of membranes. #his enables the
peptide, and viruses, to carry genes into the cell.
Interestingly, the property also makes it
antibacterial and so capable of gene transfer
even in bacteria.challenged environments.
#o prove the concept, the researchers used 6e#
to transfer a synthetic gene encoding for a green
fluorescent protein . a protein whose
fluorescence in cells can be seen and monitored
using fluorescence microscopy.
#he design can serve as a potential template for
non.viral delivery systems and specialist
treatments of genetic disorders.
#his research, performed at :P9, is a part of the
:P9.led international research pro>ect
5-ultiscale measurements in biophysical
systems5, which is >ointly funded by :P9 and the
%cottish niversities Physics ,lliance.
#he team5s article 6e# peptides& a single domain
approach to gene delivery, detailing this research
has >ust been published in Chem. Commun . the
flagship >ournal of the +oyal %ociety of
Chemistry&
Drug Can Destroy Any Type Of Viral
Infection By Making Infecte Cells Destroy
The!selves
-I# scientists have designed a new medication
that can identify cells that have been infected by
a virus, any type of virus, then destroy those
cells and effectively end the infection. #he
researchers, from -I#5s 9incoln 9aboratory,
published their breakthrough in the >ournal PLoS
One. #his new technology has the potential to
eventually cure the common cold, the flu and
several other illnesses.
Penicillin and other antibiotics are used to treat
bacterial infections. *owever, they have
absolutely no effect against the common cold,
influen'a, =bola, and other viral infections.
In this study, the scientists tested their new
medication against B$ viruses, including *B:B
influen'a, a gastrointestinal virus, a polio virus,
dengue fever, rhinoviruses (that cause the
common cold), and various other kinds of
hemorrhagic fever. It was effective against every
single one of them.
#he drug targets a type of +:, produced only
in virally.infected cells.
%enior staff scientist, #odd +ider, said&
"n theory! it should "or# against
all $iruses."
#he authors e4plain that theirs is a broad.
spectrum technology . it targets a wide range of
different types of viruses. Potentially, it could be
effective in stopping new viral outbreaks, such
as the %,+% one in E""!.
#odd +ider first thought about creating a broad.
spectrum antiviral about BB years ago when he
invented C,:,+; (Cellular ,nalysis and
:otification of ,ntigen +isks and ;ields).
C,:,+; is a biosensor that can identify
pathogens. , pathogen is a disease producer,
such as a harmful bacterium, virus or fungus.
+ider said&
"f you detect a pathogenic %acterium in the
en$ironment! there is pro%a%ly an anti%iotic that
could %e used to treat someone e&posed to that!
%ut reali'ed there are $ery fe" treatments out
there for $iruses."
%ome antivirals do e4ist today. Protease
inhibitors are used to control *IV infection .
however, they are susceptible to resistance, and
their target is narrow.
When a virus infects a cell, it takes over that
cells machinery for its own purpose . to create
copies of the virus. ,s this happens, the virus
creates long strings of ds+:, (double.stranded
+:,) . these do not e4ist in animal (including
human) cells.
*uman cells have proteins that stick to ds+:,,
which set off a cascade of reactions that stop the
viruses from replicating. *owever, some viruses
can block the cascade reaction.
+ider wondered whether combining a ds+:,.
binding protein with another one that makes
cells destroy themselves (undergo adoptosis),
might make the viral infection stop in its tracks.
*e could use, for e4ample, a protein a cell uses
when it determines it is becoming cancerous (it
destroys itself). When one end of the 3+,C2
binds to ds+:,, it could signal the other end of
the 3+C,C2 to destroy itself.
8arla 8irkegaard, professor of microbiology and
immunology at %tanford niversity, said that
combining these two elements was a good idea&
"(iruses are pretty good at de$eloping
resistance to things "e try against them! %ut in
this case! it)s hard to thin# of a simple path"ay
to drug resistance."
=ach 3+,C2 has a deli$ery tag, taken from
naturally occurring proteins, so that it can go
through cell membranes and get inside a human
or animal cell. If the cell has no ds+:,, though,
3+,C2 does not signal it to die.
#his study involved human and animal cell
cultures in the laboratory mostly. *owever, they
also carried out animal e4periments on mice
infected with the *B:B influen'a virus. When
the mice were given 3+,C2, they were cured
completely . the infection was gone. #he authors
add that 3+,C2 had no to4ic effect on the
mice.
1urther animal tests are underway and the
authors say they are getting promising results.
+ider would like to license the technology so
that larger trials can be done on animals, and
eventually humans.
Written by Christian :rod/vist
%C %cientist 3evelops Virus #hat #argets *IV
In what represents an important step toward
curing *IV, a %C scientist has created a virus
that hunts down *IV.infected cells.
3r. Pin Wang5s lentiviral vector latches onto
*IV.infected cells, flagging them with what is
called Hsuicide gene therapyH . allowing drugs to
later target and destroy them.
HIf you deplete all of the *IV.infected cells, you
can at least partially solve the problem,H said
Wang, chemical engineering professor with the
%C Viterbi %chool of =ngineering.
#he process is analogous to the military practice
of Hbuddy lasingH . that is, having a soldier on
the ground illuminate a target with a laser to
guide a precision bombing strike from an
aircraft.
9ike a precision bombing raid, the lentiviral
vector approach to targeting *IV has the
advantage of avoiding collateral damage,
keeping cells that are not infected by *IV out of
harm5s way. %uch accuracy has not been
achieved by using drugs alone, Wang said.
%o far, the lentiviral vector has only been tested
in culture dishes and has resulted in the
destruction of about !$ percent of e4isting *IV
cells. While that may not sound like a large
percentage, if this treatment were to be used in
humans, it would likely be repeated several
times to ma4imi'e effectiveness.
,mong the ne4t steps will be to test the
procedure in mice. While this is an important
breakthrough, it is not yet a cure, Wang said.
H#his is an early stage of research, but certainly
it is one of the options in that direction,H he said.
Wang5s research, which was funded by the
:ational Institutes of *ealth, appears in the Guly
E! issue of Virus +esearch.