Skip to 0 minutes and 12 seconds The term “virus” was invented in the 19th century to describe the mysterious cause of certain diseases, and since then, it has become synonymous with “problems”.
Skip to 0 minutes and 25 seconds When we consider the word virus, we think about Epidemic, Disease, and even an infection in our computers… We have even coined the term “viral” to refer to something that expands rapidly. But do we really know how viruses work and cause disease in the animals they infect?
Skip to 0 minutes and 49 seconds In this course, we will study many viral diseases that affect animals. Some, such as rabies, have been known since ancient times; others, such as West Nile fever, Ebola haemorrhagic fever, or the avian flu, have emerged with force in recent decades. Both ancient and recent viral diseases can cause major economic losses of milk, meat or egg production; some induce the death of our animals either, directly or by the need to euthanize them to prevent that the infection spreads; and undoubtedly, many of us know how sad it is to see our pets sick.
Skip to 1 minute and 39 seconds It is very difficult to cure a viral infection since, usually, there are no effective treatments against viruses. The truth is that viruses resemble the components of the cells they infect. This makes it very difficult to stop viral infections once they infect the cell. Therefore, it is very important to prevent that animals become infected, mainly avoiding the transmission between them. In this course, we will focus on the main mechanisms of transmission of viral diseases, learning step-by-step the different forms in which various types of viruses spread, and we will show related biological and medical aspects.
Skip to 2 minutes and 17 seconds We will also learn about some infections which are difficult to control as the virus establishes persistent infections, remaining hidden inside the cells, waiting to activate at the adequate time. In our tour, we will stop to know more about some of the most important viral diseases in animals and learn about their possible impact in the health of people.
Skip to 2 minutes and 49 seconds Accompany us in this course and you will have a very broad, cursory view of the importance of the diseases caused by viruses in animals. You will understand the reasons for their great expansion, and you will learn about the best methods and techniques available in our globalized world to prevent them and control them. Get ready to enter the world of viruses and the diseases that they cause as presented to you by a group of specialists in Virology, from the Schools of Veterinary Medicine and of Biology of the University Complutense of Madrid and of the University of Maisons-Alfort.
