Identification of Viruses and Diagnosis of Viral Disease

Subtopic 1 Purpose Statement:

(Image from Virology.net, The Big Picture Book of Viruses, 2002)

Viruses must hijack a living host cell in order to replicate. To do so successfully means they must be even smaller than their already microscopic host cell. The small size of a virus makes visual identification very difficult. Often, during a new outbreak, the first clue towards viral identity is a fuzzy photograph taken through a powerful electron microscope. Yet the small size of a virus does simplify its identification through other means. Here we will explore how we can use microbiology and molecular biology lab techniques combined with current internet resources to tell one virus from another. Suggested activities range from simple to more sophisticated and can be performed sequentially or separately.