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The most frequently seen viral infections are sore throat, sinusitis, the common cold, and other viral infections in the respiratory system like influenza (for example, Swine Flu A-H1N1/09, Avian/Bird Flu, and the many different common seasonal flu strains).

Viruses can be caught by swallowing or inhaling them, being bitten by insects or parasites, or through sexual transmission. The most common ones are passed person to person through direct skin to skin contact. Some are zoonotic, meaning we get them from animals, but most are passed from person to person.

Many of the common childhood diseases are caused by viruses. A large number of the respiratory system inflammation and infections are caused by viruses like croup, laryngotracheobronchitis (infection of the windpipe by a virus), and bronchiolitis (viral infection of deeper lung structures, the bronchioles). Infants, the elderly and frail, and people with underlying lung, heart, and other chronic diseases - like asthma, COPD, and diabetes - are especially susceptible and can have complications that are more severe when they get these types of viral infections. Viral pneumonia is often a secondary result of a respiratory virus infection. A Herpes virus causes an additional type of childhood disease which is known by all these various names: roseola infantum, Three Day Rash, Three Day Fever, Sixth Disease, Exanthematous Fever, and Rose Rash.

Another of the more common childhood viral diseases is Chickenpox, which is caused by a virus (Varicella-Zoster) that can reactivate many years later in life and become manifested then as Shingles. Measles are caused by the Rubeola virus; German Measles are caused by Rubella virus, Reyes syndrome in children occurs after a bout of influenza virus if aspirin has been given for fever. It is linked to the viral infection but the actual cause is still unknown other than the relationship between the flu and aspirin therapy. Doctors advise to never give aspirin to children for fever for this reason. Still another childhood disease that is viral is Mumps (epidemic parotitis), but it is also a very serious infection in adults.

Viruses often infect the nervous system, too. Such viral infections include: rabies, West Nile virus, and viral encephalitis and meningitis. Polio is a viral disease of the nervous system.

The skin can be infected, an example of a very common result of this type of viral infection is viral warts. The different Herpes viruses cause problems in the skin or mucous membranes in people, like Herpes Simplex (Fever Blisters) and Varicella-Zoster (Shingles), the late effect of Chickenpox.

There are actually eight different types of Herpes viruses. Genital Herpes is one of the well known STDs caused by viral infection. The roseola infantum mentioned above is called "Sixth Disease" because it is caused by the 6th Herpes virus, some of the other Herpes viruses are Epstein-Barr that causes infectious mononucleosis. CMV (Cytomegalovirus) creates serious infections in newborns and in people with HIV/AIDS and other chronic diseases that impact the ability to fight opportunistic diseases. It can also cause severe problems for those who are on medicines, like cancer treatment or transplant anti-rejection drugs, that cause weakened immune systems. Healthy people can also get symptoms similar to infectious mononucleosis from this type of virus. Human herpes-virus 8 has been implicated as a cause of cancer (Kaposi's sarcoma) in people with AIDS. The infections from Herpes viruses last a lifetime because they can lie dormant until years after the initial infection and then reactivate to produce new symptoms of the disease.

As mentioned above, some viruses can cause initial disease and later be linked to cancer. Hepatitis A, B, and C are caused by a virus infection which can also be linked to some cases of liver cancer. HPV (Human Papillomavirus) infections, a sexually transmitted virus, has been linked to Cervical cancer.

The heart can be attacked by viral myocarditis, a very significant and serious infection. Other extremely severe viral diseases are Yellow Fever, Smallpox, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), Hemorrhagic Fevers (such as Ebola), Dengue Fever (a mosquito-borne disease), and Hantavirus infection which is passed from rodents to people.

These are just some of the many virus types and strains that are in our world and from which our bodies can protect us most of the time when we keep ourselves rested, well nourished, and if we avoid stress.

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Q: What types of infections are viruses able to cause?
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