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Questions and Answers
Who is the instructor for the course?
Dr. Beth MacDougall-Shackleton
What are the office hours for the instructor?
Friday 10-12
What percentage of new infectious diseases are zoonotic diseases that spread to humans from nonhuman animals?
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What is the genomic material of retroviruses like HIV?
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What is the function of reverse transcriptase in HIV?
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What does the drug AZT resemble?
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Antiviral drugs are easier to design compared to antibiotics.
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How many deaths were caused by malaria each year?
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How many deaths were caused by Covid-19 in 2020?
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Study Notes
HIV Prevalence
- HIV is a major global health issue, causing significant mortality.
- In 2021, the global HIV prevalence ranged from less than 0.5% to over 20%.
Zoonotic Diseases
- 75% of new infectious diseases are zoonotic.
- These diseases spread from nonhuman animals to humans.
- Closely related species are more likely to transmit zoonotic diseases.
- Zoonotic diseases are often less harmful in the original host but more severe in humans.
Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV)
- SIV has a long history of infecting non-human primates.
- Multiple spillovers from SIV have led to the emergence of HIV in humans.
Viruses
- Viruses consist of a protein shell enclosing a nucleic acid genome (DNA or RNA).
- They are obligate parasites, requiring host cells for replication.
Antiviral Drugs
- Antiviral drugs are more challenging to design and have greater side effects compared to antibiotics or antifungals.
Retroviruses
- Retroviruses, including HIV, have an RNA genome.
- They utilize reverse transcriptase (RT) to convert RNA to DNA.
- RT introduces a high mutation rate, leading to rapid viral evolution.
- This mutation rate is specific to retroviruses.
HIV Lifecycle
- HIV infects immune cells, particularly CD4+ T cells.
- Viral fusion with the host cell membrane initiates the infection process.
- RT converts the viral RNA to double-stranded DNA.
- Viral integrase inserts the viral DNA into the host cell’s genome.
- New viral particles are produced through transcription and translation of the viral DNA.
AZT (Azidothymidine)
- AZT is a nucleoside analog, mimicking thymidine.
- AZT inhibits reverse transcriptase by terminating DNA chain elongation.
AZT Resistance
- Viral mutations in the reverse transcriptase gene can confer resistance to AZT.
- Changes in the nucleotide sequence of RT can prevent AZT incorporation.
- After prolonged AZT treatment, resistant viral strains become dominant.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the global impact of HIV and zoonotic diseases. This quiz covers various aspects, including SIV and its role in HIV emergence, the nature of viruses, and the challenges in designing antiviral drugs. Dive into the complexities of infectious diseases and their transmission from animals to humans.
