Viruses are generally described by the part of the body they affect or the signs and symptoms. So, the different types of viral infections are:
1. Congenital Infections: Congenital infections refer to those infections which a baby is born with. Generally, they pass from a pregnant mother to her foetus during the gestation period or the birth.
Examples: Zika virus, Cytomegalovirus, Rubella virus, etc.
2. Digestive System Infections: These infections affect your gastrointestinal tract, usually resulting in gastroenteritis, also known as the stomach flu. These viruses are generally contagious.
Examples: Norovirus, Rotavirus, Astrovirus, etc.
3. Sexually Transmitted Infections: These are mainly spread through sexual intercourse, including oral sex, anal sex and vaginal sex.
Examples: Human immunodeficiency virus, Human papillomavirus, Herpes Simplex virus, etc.
4. Exanthematous Infections: These infections manifest as skin rashes which may or may not be accompanied by additional symptoms. These are highly contagious. Therefore, the infected people are kept in isolation till their recovery.
Examples: Rubella virus, Measles virus, variola virus, Varicella-zoster virus, etc.
5. Respiratory Infections: These types of infections can affect our total respiratory pathway, which can cause several serious diseases resulting in respiratory distress.
Examples: Adenovirus, Respiratory syncytial virus, etc.
6. Neurological Infections: Neurological infections occur in our brain and the surrounding tissues and damage our neurological functions.
Examples: Poliovirus, rabies virus, etc.
7. Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers: These viral infections affect your body’s circulatory system, generally showing up as high fever with chills.
Examples: Ebola virus, Dengue virus, etc.