Clinical Virology

Viruses are of leading importance to human infectious pathology. They cause more than 80% of infectious diseases, and more patients die from them than all diseases caused by other infectious agents. Over the years, this trend has intensified. Many different factors influence this:
- increase and concentration of the population and communication between people from different regions of the world; – destruction of natural ecosystems that can eliminate viruses;
- general weakening of immunity under the influence of air, food and water pollution, the increased use of antibiotics, steroids, alcohol, drugs, the increase in stress factors;
- appearance of new or modified viruses, their adaptation to other carriers, as well as expansion of their geographical distribution;
- neglecting important moral traditions with early promiscuous sexual contacts with multiple partners and a frivolous attitude to the necessary precautions;
- insufficient or incorrect use of antiviral agents and schemes for the treatment and prevention of viral diseases. Modern living conditions do not indicate that many of the listed negative factors will soon be overcome. Certain hopes are placed on the creation of more effective means of diagnosis, prevention and treatment of viral diseases and on the increase of information for the public and mainly for medical specialists. Unfortunately, at the moment, this issue is unjustifiably underestimated. A significant reason for this was the lack of a textbook on virology, and especially one with a clinical focus. The present book can largely fill this gap and create a bridge between virologists and physicians with clinical specialties, including general practitioners and dentists. The textbook will contribute to modern and high-quality training of students of medicine, dentistry and biology on basic issues related to the possibilities of fighting viral diseases. The materials in it were written by the leading specialists from the National Academy of Medical Sciences, the Academy of Medical Sciences - Varna and the Academy of Medical Sciences. Due to the team's decision to limit the volume of the textbook and give it a more practical focus, essential questions of molecular virology and problems of mostly theoretical importance have been reduced in it. On the other hand, concrete measures for timely and correct behavior in the treatment of the sick are emphasized.
The material is divided into 3 parts. In general virology, the emphasis is on the specific features of infections and diseases caused by viruses, and on the modern and real possibilities for the country for their diagnosis, prevention and treatment. In private virology, the main characteristics of the different virus families are given according to their modern classification. Basic for the purposes of the textbook is clinical virology. For the convenience of students and practicing doctors, it is given by clinical syndromes, mainly emphasizing the causes and diseases relevant to our country. The same approach is used in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment options. Due to existing differing opinions in the literature on these issues, the authors were instructed to recommend treatments for which they have sufficient clinical experience and which can be supplied by our pharmacy network. For completeness, this section also includes non-viral diseases caused by prions, chlamydia and rickettsiae, which are essential for infectious pathology in our country. For the same reasons, data have also been presented on new, widely discussed diseases, the etiology of which has not yet been definitively clarified, but is most likely viral.
The author's collective hopes that this first textbook on clinical virology in the country will contribute to the improvement of information for students and specialists and will contribute to a more correct and efficient service to our citizens in need.