Human Viruses: Infection, Prevention and Potential Target(s) for Therapy – A Comprehensive Review

It is well known that most pathogenic viruses cause acute, chronic and co-infections that lead to pathogenesis and progression and manifestated as various human diseases. Viral diseases mainly AIDS, Zika, Ebola, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS), influenza and pneumonia of various forms are the biggest cause of mortality and disability in both developed and developing countries. Also certain infectious viruses have the potential to cause cancers in humans. Taken together, the known, unknown and novel viral diseases associated with cancers represent a major global public health challange for social well-being, economic stability, quality human health, productivity and progress. The threats posed by viral diseases mainly depend on the continued emergence, re-emergence of new and novel pathogenic viruses with varied pathogenecity and severity. Chronic infections contribute to as high as 26% of cancer cases in developing countries, only about 11 out of millions of microbes and chemical agents around us have been declared as human carcinogens. In the past few years, several new and highly pathogenic viral infections, that affect humans, have emerged and majority are of zoonotic origin. Thus, monitoring these zoonoses and other novel viruses with unidentified origins required, advanced efforts for increased awarness and the efficient global research co-ordination for pursuance of effective approaches for prevention and the control of diseases remains crucial. This chapter presents an update on emerging and re-emerging viruses and viral diseases, highlights their role in causing human diseases including cancer as well as their potential targets for development of new therapeutics and vaccines.