Protection against viruses

 Prevention

*Prevention of viral infections may include:

• General measures

• Vaccines

• Immune globulins

• Vaccines and immune globulins help the body better defend itself against diseases caused by certain viruses (or bacteria). The process of strengthening the body's defenses is called immunization.

First ⇛ General measures

People can help prevent many viral infections by commonsense measures to protect themselves and others (personal protective measures). These measures vary depending on the how the virus is spread. Measures include the following:

•  Frequently and thoroughly washing the hands with soap and water for at least 15 seconds after contact with a person who has a viral disease, before eating, or after using the restroom or touching feces, body fluids, surfaces, or foods that are potentially contaminated with viruses

• Consuming only food and liquids that have been appropriately prepared or treated

•  Eating a well-balanced diet that includes sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables

•  Avoiding contact with infected people and contaminated surfaces

•  Avoiding contact of your hands with your eyes, nose and mouth, which can transmit a virus into the body
  

•  Sneezing and coughing into tissues (which should be thrown away) or into the upper arm or elbow (not hand), completely covering the mouth and nose

•  Using safe-sex practices

•  Preventing bites by ticks, mosquitoes, and other arthropods

•  Sufficient rest

•  Using a sterile, unused needle for each act of tattooing or injectable drug use

•  Using appropriate antibacterial cleaners to clean your hands and surfaces

•  Vaccination as recommended by your health care provider for viral diseases, such as chickenpox, shingles, influenza, HPV, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, measles, and mumps

Secondly ⇛ Vaccines

Vaccines work by stimulating the body's natural defense mechanisms (called active immunization). Vaccines are given before exposure to a virus to prevent infection. Vaccines vary in effectiveness and in the number of doses required to confer protection. Some vaccines require booster shots to maintain immunity Viral vaccines in general used include the following:

•  Hepatitis A

•  Hepatitis B

•  Human papillomavirus (HPV)

•  Influenza

•  Measles, mumps, and rubella

•  Polio

•  Rabies

•  Rotavirus

•  Shingles (herpes zoster)

finally ⇛  Immunoglobulins 

Immune globulins are a sterilized solution of antibodies (also called immunoglobulins) collected from the blood of a group of people. Immune globulins are given directly to a person (called passive immunization). Immunoglobulins can be collected from the blood of the following:

•  People who are generally healthy (these immunoglobulins are called pooled human immunoglobulin)

•  People who have many antibodies that defend against a specific infectious organism, often because they have been infected with that organism (these immunoglobulins are called hyperimmune globulin)

• Hyperimmune globulin is available for only a few infectious diseases, such as hepatitis B, rabies, tetanus, and chickenpox. It is usually given after people have been exposed to a microorganism but before they get sick. For example, people who have been bitten by an animal that might have rabies are immediately given rabies hyperimmune globulin.

• Immune globulins are given by injection into a muscle or into a vein. The immunity provided by immune globulins lasts for only a few days or weeks, until the body eliminates the injected antibodies, Sometimes, such as when people are exposed to rabies or hepatitis B, they are given both immune globulin and a vaccine to help prevent infection from developing or reduce the severity of infection.