How do antivirals destroy viruses?
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Summary
Antivirals are a class of medications that are used to treat viral infections. Most viral infections resolve spontaneously in immunocompetent individuals. The aim of antiviral therapy is to minimize symptoms and infectivity as well as to shorten the duration of illness. These drugs act by arresting the viral replication cycle at various stages. Currently, antiviral therapy is available only for a limited number of infections. Most of the antiviral drugs currently available are used to treat infections caused by HIV, herpes viruses, hepatitis B and C viruses, and influenza A and B viruses. Because viruses are obligate, intracellular parasites, it is difficult to find drug targets that interfere with viral replication without also harming the host cells. Unlike other antimicrobials, antiviral drugs do not deactivate or destroy the microbe (in this case, the virus) but act by inhibiting replication. In this way, they prevent the viral load from increasing to a point where it could cause pathogenesis, allowing the body's innate immune mechanisms to neutralize the virus. This learning card provides an overview of the most commonly used antiviral agents. For more information on antiretroviral agents used in the treatment of HIV, which is known as highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), see HIV