Читать книгу Principles of Virology, Volume 2 - Jane Flint, S. Jane Flint - Страница 105

Despite the complexity and diversity of viral infection cycles, at a minimum, all viruses must get in, and they must get out. This is true not only for infections of the cell (a major theme of Volume I) but also for infections of the host. In this Chapter, we discussed the many ways by which an organism may acquire pathogens. It is not hyperbole to note that pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, eukaryotic parasites, and fungi, are truly everywhere, and because they have coevolved with their hosts, all have coopted our behaviors to ensure host-to-host transmission.

Fortunately, our counter-defenses pose formidable obstacles. Viruses are trapped in mucus, repelled by dead layers of skin, brushed away by cilia, and destroyed by stomach acid. However, capturing a rook and a bishop does not end this age-old game of chess. Some viruses can bypass these defenses to reach target cells deep within organs. When viruses breach our formidable barriers, it is up to the elite forces of the host immune system, the precise strategies of the intrinsic, innate, and adaptive responses, to either end the game in checkmate or suffer the fateful capture of the king.