Viral infections can be acute or chronic, with chronic infections lasting longer and developing gradually. Some chronic infections, like hepatitis C and HIV, can be fatal, while others may cause only minor symptoms. Herpes simplex type 2 causes genital herpes, which has no cure.
Viral infections usually fall into one of two categories: acute or chronic. An acute viral infection typically develops suddenly and lasts for a short period of time, while a chronic viral infection tends to develop gradually and last for weeks, months, or even years. In some cases, a chronic viral infection causes symptoms that a person will face for the duration of the illness but do not threaten the patient’s life. In others, the chronic infection can prove deadly. Some examples of chronic viral infections include hepatitis C, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and herpes simplex type 2.
A chronic viral infection is caused by a virus and lasts for a relatively long period of time. Unlike acute viral infections, a chronic infection usually lasts longer than a couple of weeks, and symptoms often develop gradually rather than appear suddenly. The fact that an infection is chronic, however, doesn’t always indicate whether it’s serious or not. Some chronic infections may cause a person only minor symptoms and won’t interfere much with their normal activities. Others can make a person feel very sick and even prove fatal.
One type of chronic viral infection is hepatitis C. This infection develops when a person is exposed to the hepatitis C virus through blood contact, shared needles, and sexual contact. It leads to severe liver damage and causes symptoms such as fatigue, stomach pain, and liver pain or tenderness. It can also affect your appetite or cause fever. Although there are treatments for this condition, it can prove fatal, depending on the extent of the patient’s liver damage.
HIV is another virus that causes a chronic viral infection. Like hepatitis C, it is spread through blood contact, sharing needles, and sexual contact. This virus causes a serious condition called acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), in which the immune system becomes so compromised that it cannot effectively fight off even minor illnesses, such as the common cold. Therefore, a person with this disease may develop frequent infections. Symptoms of this viral infection include fever, weight loss, diarrhea and swollen lymph nodes. In some cases, it will also cause coughing and headaches.
There are treatments for HIV and AIDS that can slow the progress of the virus, prolong a person’s life, and help their body fight infections. A person with this type of infection will usually need lifelong care. If treatment is unsuccessful or a person fails to seek treatment, the disease can prove fatal.
Another chronic condition called herpes develops due to a virus called herpes simplex type 2. This sexually transmitted virus causes genital herpes, which is characterized by a herpes sore that develops on the genitals of an infected person on recurring basis. There are treatments that can make herpes sores less frequent or severe, but none completely cure the disease.
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