Elsevier

Current Opinion in Virology

Volume 23, April 2017, Pages 35-42
Current Opinion in Virology

Within host RNA virus persistence: mechanisms and consequences

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coviro.2017.03.001Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Highlights

  • Persistent infections as reservoirs of infection and RNA virus epidemiology.

  • Disease and immune consequences of persistent RNA virus infections.

  • The role of host responses and virus mechanisms in the establishment of persistent infections.

In a prototypical response to an acute viral infection it would be expected that the adaptive immune response would eliminate all virally infected cells within a few weeks of infection. However many (non-retrovirus) RNA viruses can establish ‘within host’ persistent infections that occasionally lead to chronic or reactivated disease. Despite the importance of ‘within host’ persistent RNA virus infections, much has still to be learnt about the molecular mechanisms by which RNA viruses establish persistent infections, why innate and adaptive immune responses fail to rapidly clear these infections, and the epidemiological and potential disease consequences of such infections.

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This opinion piece takes its title from a conference with the same name that was held in St Andrews, Scotland on 24th–26th August 2016