title: Viral infections.
abstract: Viral infections may cause serious morbidity as well as death in elderly patients. Of the RNA viruses, influenza virus is the most important pathogen; the majority of influenza-related deaths occur in older patients. Respiratory syncytial virus appears to be gaining increasing importance in elderly persons. Herpes zoster or shingles is caused by the DNA virus, varicella-zoster virus, and its major morbidity in older patients is postherpetic neuralgia.
authors.affiliation: University of California School of Medicine, Irvine.
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Cesario
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yousefi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000188:drug therapy; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses; D010253:Respirovirus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology