ABSTRACT
Acute cytolytic infection Many virus infections result in death of the infected cell. This may arise for a number of reasons, e.g. virus-induced inhibition of host cell protein synthesis, or disturbance of cell architecture. Cell death results in the release of new virus particles, which can infect neighboring cells. The host immune system may also kill virally infected cells. The end result for the patient will vary from no disease through to organ failure and death, depending on which organs and tissues are infected, the extent of virally-induced cell death and the host inflammatory response to infection.
