Ribavirin

1984 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-138 ◽  

Despite the plethora of antibiotics available for the treatment of bacterial infections, very few agents have been developed to treat viral diseases. Ribavirin (Virazole) is a triazole nucleoside antiviral agent that produces selective antiviral effects against a broad spectrum of RNA and DNA viruses. The drug has been effective in the treatment of naturally occurring influenza A and B infections when administered by aerosol; oral administration has been ineffective. Ribavirin aerosol therapy also has proven effective to reduce symptoms of respiratory syncytial virus infections in young adults and hospitalized neonates. Ribavirin aerosol may be the first antiviral agent to treat these common diseases.

1987 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 399-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milap C. Nahata

Remarkable progress has been made in antiviral chemotherapy. Six approved antiviral drugs are now available for the treatment of various viral infections. Trifluridine, idoxuridine and vidarabine are all effective in patients with herpes keratitis; trifluridine is preferred due to its low toxicity. Acyclovir is the drug of choice in patients with infections due to herpes simplex viruses, including genital herpes, herpes encephalitis, and neonatal herpes, and infections due to varicella-zoster virus. Amantadine is the only drug currently available for prophylaxis and treatment of influenza A, but an investigational drug, rimantadine, appears to be equally effective and less toxic than amantadine. Ribavirin is the most recently approved antiviral agent for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus infections. Numerous antiviral drugs are being studied in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Although currently available drugs have improved our ability to manage a variety of viral illnesses, much needs to be learned about specific dosage guidelines based on the studies of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, potential adverse effects and viral resistance, and the role of combination therapy to optimize therapy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 159-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Styczyński

AbstractViruses are a form of life that possess genes but do not have a cellular structure. Viruses do not have their own metabolism, and they require a host cell to make new products; therefore, they cannot naturally reproduce outside a host cell. The objective of this paper is to present the basic practical clinical roles of viruses in patients with hematological diseases including malignancies and non-malignan- cies, as well as those undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), with the focus on herpesviruses causing latent infections in severely immunocompromised patients. From the hematologist point of view, viruses can play a major role in four conditions: causing infections; causing lymphoproliferations and/or malignancies; causing (pan)cytopenia; and used as vectors in treatment (e.g., gene therapy, CAR-T cells). Taking into account the role of viruses in hematology, infection is the most frequent condition. Among DNA viruses, the highest morbidity potential for human is expressed by Herpesviridiae (herpesviruses), Adenoviridae (adenovirus; ADV), Polyomavirus (BKV, JCV), and Bocavirus. RNA viruses can play a role in pathogenesis of different clinical conditions and diseases: lymphoproliferative disorders and malignancy, possibly causing NHL, AML, MDS, and others (HCV, HIV, and others); pancytopenia and aplastic anemia (HIV, HCV, Dengue virus); respiratory infections (community-acquired respiratory virus infections; CARV) caused by Orthomyxoviruses (e.g. influenza A/B), Paramyxoviruses (e.g. human parainfluenza virus PIV-1, -2, -3, and -4; respiratory syncytial virus RSV-A and -B), picornaviruses (e.g., human rhinovirus), coronaviruses (e.g., human coronavirus), Pneumoviridiae (e.g., human metapneumovirus), and potentially other viruses.


2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (04) ◽  
pp. 957-969 ◽  
Author(s):  
You-Ping Deng ◽  
Yuan-Yuan Liu ◽  
Zhao Liu ◽  
Jin Li ◽  
Ling-Min Zhao ◽  
...  

Folium isatidis is a native Chinese herbaceous plant widely used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. However, few studies have focused on the leaves of Isatis indigotica. In this report, we isolated a series of four fractions (I–IV) from Folium isatidis and explored the antiviral activity of each tested extract. The extracts were active against a panel of RNA and DNA viruses in vitro, namely influenza A virus (IAV), coxsackie virus B3 (CVB3), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and adenovirus type 7 (Ad-7). Oral administration of 200 mg/kg/d of fraction III in mice exerted strong antiviral effects in viral replication, accompanied by prolonged survival rate, attenuated lung tissue damage as well as significant reductions in pulmonary virus titers and lung index. Our results provide the first biochemical evidence that Folium isatidis and its extracts could be used as potential antiviral agent in the postexposure prophylaxis for multiple viral infections.


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 548
Author(s):  
Kiramage Chathuranga ◽  
Asela Weerawardhana ◽  
Niranjan Dodantenna ◽  
Lakmal Ranathunga ◽  
Won-Kyung Cho ◽  
...  

Sargassum fusiforme, a plant used as a medicine and food, is regarded as a marine vegetable and health supplement to improve life expectancy. Here, we demonstrate that S. fusiforme extract (SFE) has antiviral effects against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in vitro and in vivo mouse model. Treatment of HEp2 cells with a non-cytotoxic concentration of SFE significantly reduced RSV replication, RSV-induced cell death, RSV gene transcription, RSV protein synthesis, and syncytium formation. Moreover, oral inoculation of SFE significantly improved RSV clearance from the lungs of BALB/c mice. Interestingly, the phenolic compounds eicosane, docosane, and tetracosane were identified as active components of SFE. Treatment with a non-cytotoxic concentration of these three components elicited similar antiviral effects against RSV infection as SFE in vitro. Together, these results suggest that SFE and its potential components are a promising natural antiviral agent candidate against RSV infection.


2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (12) ◽  
pp. 6328-6333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald F. Smee ◽  
Mark von Itzstein ◽  
Beenu Bhatt ◽  
E. Bart Tarbet

ABSTRACTCompounds lacking oral activity may be delivered intranasally to treat influenza virus infections in mice. However, intranasal treatments greatly enhance the virulence of such virus infections. This can be partially compensated for by giving reduced virus challenge doses. These can be 100- to 1,000-fold lower than infections without such treatment and still cause equivalent mortality. We found that intranasal liquid treatments facilitate virus production (probably through enhanced virus spread) and that lung pneumonia was delayed by only 2 days relative to a 1,000-fold higher virus challenge dose not accompanied by intranasal treatments. In one study, zanamivir was 90 to 100% effective at 10 mg/kg/day by oral, intraperitoneal, and intramuscular routes against influenza A/California/04/2009 (H1N1) virus in mice. However, the same compound administered intranasally at 20 mg/kg/day for 5 days gave no protection from death although the time to death was significantly delayed. A related compound, Neu5Ac2en (N-acetyl-2,3-dehydro-2-deoxyneuraminic acid), was ineffective at 100 mg/kg/day. Intranasal zanamivir and Neu5Ac2en were 70 to 100% protective against influenza A/NWS/33 (H1N1) virus infections at 0.1 to 10 and 30 to 100 mg/kg/day, respectively. Somewhat more difficult to treat was A/Victoria/3/75 virus that required 10 mg/kg/day of zanamivir to achieve full protection. These results illustrate that treatment of influenza virus infections by the intranasal route requires consideration of both virus challenge dose and virus strain in order to avoid compromising the effectiveness of a potentially useful antiviral agent. In addition, the intranasal treatments were shown to facilitate virus replication and promote lung pathology.


1976 ◽  
Vol 77 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. O. Caul ◽  
D. K. Waller ◽  
S. K. R. Clarke ◽  
B. D. Corner

SUMMARYAmong 741 children under 5 years admitted to hospital with respiratory infections during two winters, infection with influenza A virus was diagnosed in 70 (9%), with influenza B virus in 8 (1%), and with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in 259 (35 %). Both influenza virus and RSV infections were diagnosed most frequently in children under the age of one year, and diagnosed more frequently in males than females. Influenza illnesses were more severe in boys than girls. Both infections occurred more often, but were not more severe, in children from a conurbation than in those from ‘rural’ areas. Convulsions were the cause of 36% of admissions with influenza A infections, but were rare in RSV infections. Bronchiolitis was the reason for 39% of admissions with RSV infections, but was rare in influenza infections. It is suggested that infants admitted to hospital are a good source of influenza virus strains for monitoring arttigenic variation.


2015 ◽  
Vol 144 (3) ◽  
pp. 527-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. N. TRAN ◽  
Q. D. TRINH ◽  
N. T. K. PHAM ◽  
M. P. VU ◽  
M. T. HA ◽  
...  

SUMMARYInformation about viral acute respiratory infections (ARIs) is essential for prevention, diagnosis and treatment, but it is limited in tropical developing countries. This study described the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of ARIs in children hospitalized in Vietnam. Nasopharyngeal samples were collected from children with ARIs at Ho Chi Minh City Children's Hospital 2 between April 2010 and May 2011 in order to detect respiratory viruses by polymerase chain reaction. Viruses were found in 64% of 1082 patients, with 12% being co-infections. The leading detected viruses were human rhinovirus (HRV; 30%), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV; 23·8%), and human bocavirus (HBoV; 7·2%). HRV was detected all year round, while RSV epidemics occurred mainly in the rainy season. Influenza A (FluA) was found in both seasons. The other viruses were predominant in the dry season. HRV was identified in children of all age groups. RSV, parainfluenza virus (PIV) 1, PIV3 and HBoV, and FluA were detected predominantly in children aged <6 months, 6–12 months, 12–24 months, and >24 months, respectively. Significant associations were found between PIV1 with croup (P < 0·005) and RSV with bronchiolitis (P < 0·005). HBoV and HRV were associated with hypoxia (P < 0·05) and RSV with retraction (P < 0·05). HRV, RSV, and HBoV were detected most frequently and they may increase the severity of ARIs in children.


2009 ◽  
Vol 77 (9) ◽  
pp. 3588-3595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Anne Rameix-Welti ◽  
Maria Leticia Zarantonelli ◽  
Dario Giorgini ◽  
Corinne Ruckly ◽  
Monica Marasescu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The underlying mechanisms of the epidemiological association between influenza virus infections and Neisseria meningitidis invasive infections are not fully understood. Here we report that adhesion of N. meningitidis to human Hec-1-B epithelial cells is enhanced by influenza A virus (IAV) infection. A potential role of the viral neuraminidase (NA) in facilitating meningococcal adhesion to influenza virus-infected epithelial cells was examined. Expression of a recombinant IAV NA in Hec-1-B human epithelial cells increased the adhesion of strains of N. meningitidis belonging to the sialic acid-containing capsular serogroups B, C, and W135 but not to the mannosamine phosphate-containing capsular serogroup A. Adhesion enhancement was not observed with an inactive NA mutant or in the presence of an NA inhibitor (zanamivir). Furthermore, purified IAV NA was shown to cleave sialic acid-containing capsular polysaccharides of N. meningitidis. On the whole, our findings suggest that a direct interaction between the NA of IAV and the capsule of N. meningitidis enhances bacterial adhesion to cultured epithelial cells, most likely through cleavage of capsular sialic acid-containing polysaccharides. A better understanding of the association between IAV and invasive meningococcal infections should help to set up improved control strategies against these seasonal dual viral-bacterial infections.


1998 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 539-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mika J. Mäkelä ◽  
Tuomo Puhakka ◽  
Olli Ruuskanen ◽  
Maija Leinonen ◽  
Pekka Saikku ◽  
...  

Two hundred young adults with common colds were studied during a 10-month period. Virus culture, antigen detection, PCR, and serology with paired samples were used to identify the infection. Viral etiology was established for 138 of the 200 patients (69%). Rhinoviruses were detected in 105 patients, coronavirus OC43 or 229E infection was detected in 17, influenza A or B virus was detected in 12, and single infections with parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, and enterovirus were found in 14 patients. Evidence for bacterial infection was found in seven patients. Four patients had a rise in antibodies against Chlamydia pneumoniae, one had a rise in antibodies against Haemophilus influenzae, one had a rise in antibodies against Streptococcus pneumoniae, and one had immunoglobulin M antibodies against Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The results show that although approximately 50% of episodes of the common cold were caused by rhinoviruses, the etiology can vary depending on the epidemiological situation with regard to circulating viruses. Bacterial infections were rare, supporting the concept that the common cold is almost exclusively a viral disease.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shabnam Ansari ◽  
Ijhar Ahmad ◽  
Mahboob Ali ◽  
Mohd. Maaz

: “Tiryaq Arba” is a polyherbal Unani formulation in a majoon dosage form that contains four herbal ingredients, namely habbul ghar (Laurus nobilis), juntiyana romi (Gentiana lutea), murr maki (Commiphora myrrha), and zarawand taweel (Aristolochia longa). The medicine has been used as an antidote against different poisons and as a prophylactic medicine before and/or during epidemics. The constituents have been proposed to act as anti-infective, anti-microbial, and antidote against various infectious agents during epidemics (waba). Scientific experimentation of the above-mentioned constituents has also reinforced their beneficial antiviral, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant properties against epidemics of acute respiratory viral infections such as; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), adenovirus, influenza and influenza A virus, respiratory syncytial virus infections, parainfluenza virus, human rhinovirus B, coxsackievirus, parainfluenza virus type 3, Newcastle disease virus, and influenza A virus, which are a greater cause for morbidity and mortality faced by the world, earlier and at present.


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