Slow virus

A slow virus is a virus that remains latent in the body over a long period before symptoms appear. The term was originally used to describe viruses that cause neurodegenerative diseases, but it is no longer in common use as it is considered misleading.

History

The concept of slow viruses was first proposed by Carleton Gajdusek in the 1960s, following his work on Kuru and Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. He won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1976 for this work.

Characteristics

Slow viruses are characterized by a long incubation period before symptoms appear. This can range from months to years, and in some cases, decades. The diseases they cause are typically progressive and fatal.

Examples

Examples of diseases caused by slow viruses include Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, which is caused by the measles virus, and Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, which is caused by the JC virus. Other examples include HIV and Hepatitis C.

See also

• Prion
• Virus latency
• Neurodegenerative disease