Host-viral infection refers to the interaction between a virus and the host organism it infects, encompassing how the virus enters host cells, replicates, spreads, and causes disease, and how the host responds and is affected. Because viruses are obligate intracellular parasites, they depend on host cell machinery t…
Host-viral infection refers to the interaction between a virus and the host organism it infects, encompassing how the virus enters host cells, replicates, spreads, and causes disease, and how the host responds and is affected. Because viruses are obligate intracellular parasites, they depend on host cell machinery to reproduce, and the outcome of infection is determined by the interplay between viral factors and host defenses. Infections range from acute, self-limiting illnesses to persistent or chronic conditions, and their severity reflects viral characteristics, the host immune response, and individual factors such as immune competence. Within the host, the immune system mounts innate and adaptive responses to limit viral replication and clear infection, and markers of this response, including immune cell counts and viral load, are central to monitoring chronic infections such as HIV, where measures of CD4 T cell levels, viral load, and oxidative status reflect disease state under therapy. Host-viral infection is also the framework for understanding emerging and pandemic threats, including coronaviruses, and for developing interventions: antiviral drugs that disrupt viral processes, immunization, and immune-based strategies such as passive immunity. Insights from these interactions further inform applications that repurpose viruses, as in oncolytic virus approaches to cancer. Studying host-viral infection underpins efforts to diagnose, treat, and prevent viral disease across diverse pathogens and clinical settings.
5 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 5 articles above have been cited 12 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Host-viral Infections, linking to each citing work.