Antiviral

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Revision as of 01:48, October 10, 2019 by Notjusttired (talk | contribs) (remove link so terminology page looks up word)

Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used specifically for treating viral infections, rather than bacterial ones. Most antivirals are used for a specific type of virus, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wider range of viruses. Although there are a number of broad-spectrum antibiotics, there are very few broad-spectrum antiviral drugs, and the few in existence are generally only effective against a specific family of viruses.

Tenofovir and lamivudine are antiviral drugs which are designed for HIV, but may be effective against other retroviruses. Valacyclovir is often used for Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) I and II, as well as for Varicella Zoster Virus (VZV), another herpesvirus. Valganciclovir is used for a broader spectrum of herpesviruses, including HSV I and II, VZV, cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and is somewhat effective against Human Herpesvirus 6 (HHV6). Ribavirin is the only antiviral drug effective against RNA viruses, although it is rarely used due to its toxic side-effects.

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