Monday, February 23, 2009

Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus

Hey there.
My name is Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus.
I'm a Togavirus.
I'm also an arborvirus.

I mostly live around horses.
I also love birds, especially game birds and song birds.
I live in the United States and in South America, near marsh land and even the Amazon!

I cause encephalitis.
I start with fever and muscle pain, then headache, vomiting and seizures.
I can kill or paralyse.



Sunday, February 15, 2009

Ross River Virus

Hello there.
My name is Ross River Virus.
I am an Alphavirus from the Togaviridae family.
I am an arborvirus.

I live in Australia like my cousin Murray Valley Encephalitis.
Unlike my cousin, I don't kill you.
But I do give you rash, headache and joint pain.

You get tired and worn out.

I am the most common arborvirus in Australia.
Sometimes I am carried by Wallabies.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Murray Valley Encephalitis


Hello
.
My name is Murray Valley Encephalitis Virus.

I'm an arborvirus from the Togaviridae family.

I can be found around Australia.
I like water birds and I just love heavy rains.
The water is good for my mosquito friends.

I give you fever, neck stiffness, headache and confusion.
You can go into a coma or get paralysed.
You might need help to breathe if I paralyse your lungs.

West Nile Virus


Howdy.
I'm West Nile Virus.
I'm a flavivirus.
I'm also an arborvirus.

I live in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and now in North America.
I live in crows and other wilds birds.

Then mosquitoes carry me.


Mostly I just give you fever and pain all over.
Sometimes I get into your brain.

I give you a rash.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Japanese Encephalitis Virus


Hi, I'm Japanese Encephalitis Virus.
I'm from Flaviviridae and an arborvirus.
I'm big all over Asia.

I live around rice fields.

I hang around pigs and water birds there.

Mosquitoes are my vectors.
That means they carry me from the animals to you.


My main job is giving you encephalitis.

I can have life long consequences.

There is a vaccine against me.

Monday, February 09, 2009

Dengue Virus


We're the Dengue Virus!
We're Flaviviruses.


We're found in the tropics.

We hitch a ride on an Aedes mosquito.
When she bites you, we get left behind.


We are 4 types.
A visit from one of us makes you sick with Dengue fever.
But we 'cross react' with each other.


So when another one of us visits, you get very sick.

You get Dengue haemorrhagic fever and can die.

Friday, February 06, 2009

Yellow Fever Virus


Hey, I'm Yellow Fever Virus.
I am from family Flaviviridae.

I am in Africa and South America.
I am an arborvirus.
This means I am carried in mosquitoes and ticks.
I travel in their saliva.

Like many of my arborvirus friends, I give you fever and haemorrhage.
Then headache and chills.
I make you yellow with jaundice.

I have two different homes to grow in.
My urban life cycle hangs around houses.
My sylvatic cycle uses monkeys in the jungle.
Oh well, there is a vaccine against me.

Monday, February 02, 2009

Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus


My name is Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus.
I am from the family Flaviviridae.
I was first found in Russia.


I am carried by Ixodes ticks.
They live on rodents.

People can also drink unpasteurised milk with me in it.
I have three types; European, Far Eastern and Siberian.

After a week or 2 I give you fever and sore muscles.

Sometimes I rest here for a few days, so you feel better.
Then I hit the nervous system.

I cause meningitis or encephalitis.

There can be coma, convulsions and even paralysis.