HPV (human papillomavirus) infection is caused by a group of viruses with more than 100 subtypes. More than 40 subtypes have been implicated in human infections affecting the genital regions. There has been further classification of these viruses...
"Flu" is a generic term for a syndrome of respiratory infection produced by several distinct influenza viruses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 200,000 people are hospitalized and about 36,000 people...
As of 2010, there is no recommended vaccine to prevent human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV) infection, and many challenges remain for developing a vaccine. HIV is the infectious organism, which leads to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS);...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, recommends that all individuals over 6 months old should get a yearly influenza vaccination. This vaccine prevents the individual from developing influenza or developing a severe case of it....
According to a 2008 article in the journal "Vaccine", influenza strains are constantly evolving and mutating through two processes known as "antigentic shift" and "antigenic drift" genes. Therefore, laboratories around the world routinely collect...
The first step in making a vaccine is identifying the virus it is intended to target. In the case of influenza, there are several strains, each of which mutates frequently. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), laboratories around the...
The chicken pox vaccine, which is more formally referred to as the varicella vaccine, is a type of immunization administered to prevent the development of chickenpox in treated patients. Chickenpox is an infection caused by a virus called...
Vitamin B-12 is an integral component of the nervous system, and in HIV patients the disease often hampers proper nerve function. Research draws parallels between vitamin B-12 deficiency and the worsening of HIV-related symptoms such as peripheral...
HIV/AIDS continues to be a dreaded killer. According to data from the NIH National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), there are over 1 million people living with the disease in the U.S., with over 53,000 new infections each...
Before the development of the chicken pox vaccination, varicella infected approximately 4 million people -- mostly children -- each year just in the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The chicken...
If a person becomes exposed to the hepatitis B virus (HBV), they can develop an inflammatory liver disease called hepatitis B. To limit the risk of developing this infection, health officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)...
Meningitis is an infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord that can be caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi. Bacterial meningitis can be a life-threatening disease; one type of bacteria that can cause this disease is meningococcus....
Shingles is a viral skin disease that can arise as a complication of chickenpox in patients over the age of 50, according to Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. People who develop shingles can experience intensely painful skin blistering in...
Zostavax is the name of the live vaccine developed by Merck & Co. that prevents the development of shingles, also known as herpes zoster. The Zostavax vaccine was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May 2006. The U.S. Centers...
Several vaccines exist to protect people against developing liver inflammation caused by either the hepatitis A or B viruses. Hepatitis vaccines are typically administered as injections within the upper arm. The dangers of hepatitis vaccines are...
Typhoid fever is a potentially life-threatening infection caused by a bacterium called Salmonella typhi. Though this infection is rare within the United States, people who travel to countries that lack water and waste management systems should...
Caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, tuberculosis can be present in a latent or active form. The latent form is dormant and causes no symptoms. The active form, however, can be deadly. The bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccine, or BCG,...
You want to protect your child from harm, and that includes preventing him from getting sick. Vaccines effectively prevent common childhood diseases, including influenza, or the flu. As with all medicines, vaccines have the potential of causing...
The Pneumo, or Pneumococcal vaccine is given for the prevention of pneumococcal disease. Pneumococcal disease is caused by the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. Pneumococcal infection can cause serious problems, such as pneumonia, which affects...
FluMist is a vaccine to prevent seasonal influenza. It always contains a small amount of three weakened viruses, the ones that scientists have determined to be the most likely to spread during the current flu season. This vaccine is administered...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists three types of influenza virus: Type A, Type B and Type C. Some types have subcategories. The CDC estimates that between 1976 and 2007 there have been upward of 49,000 deaths in the United...
The swine flu, or H1N1, is a respiratory infection that causes fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, diarrhea and vomiting, according to the Mayo Clinic. The severe complications of swine flu include pneumonia,...
The human papillomavirus, or HPV, is associated with the development of a number of conditions including cervical cancer, precancerous diseases of the cervix and genital warts. It is usually transmitted sexually. According to Mayo Clinic, 11,000...
The flu shot is a vaccination used to prevent the development of influenza, a viral infection, within treated patients. This vaccine is provided as an injection or shot within the upper arm and can be administered to patients over the age of 6...
A pneumococcal vaccine is an injectable treatment administered to patients to help prevent pneumococcal diseases, such as pneumonia or meningitis. There are two types of this vaccine: conjugate and polysaccharide. The conjugate pneumococcal...
According to the Rotavirus Vaccine Program, more than 500,000 children throughout the world die each year because of complications from the rotavirus. An estimated 111 million cases are believed to occur each year throughout the world, with 25...
A vaccine is a treatment utilized to prevent the development of specific infections or diseases in treated patients. In the United States, hepatitis vaccines for both the hepatitis A and B viruses are available for patients as of 2010. Hepatitis...
In May 2006, the Food and Drug Administration approved a vaccine, known as Zostavax, to prevent shingles in adults over 60. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the shingles vaccine reduces the risk of...
Hepatitis C virus infects the liver and causes a multitude of effects that could lead to death. It is associated with the development of liver tumors, liver cirrhosis and liver cell failure. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information...
Rabies is a fatal and dangerous disease that leads to brain swelling and neurological malfunction. Learn about rabies including treatment options in this video.
Rubella, or German measles, is an often benign outbreak of little red bumps that usually pass in one to five days. Learn more in this health video.
