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A virus is a microscopic infectious agent that can cause diseases. A disease, on the other hand, refers to a particular condition or illness that affects the functioning of a living organism. So, a virus can be the cause of a disease, but not all diseases are caused by viruses.
Tuberculosis is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, not a virus.
Shingles are caused by the varicella virus, the same virus that causes chicken pox. Those who have had chicken pox when younger carry the dormant virus for the rest of their lives. Should the virus "reactivate" in an adult, the result is shingles.
Cancer is a disease caused by uncontrolled cell growth and division within the body, usually due to mutations in the DNA. A virus, on the other hand, is a small infectious agent that can only replicate inside the living cells of an organism. While cancer is a result of abnormal cell behavior within the body, viruses are external infectious agents that enter cells to reproduce.
The incubation period for a viral infection is the time between exposure to the virus and the onset of symptoms. A longer incubation period can make it harder to track and contain the spread of the disease because infected individuals may not show symptoms right away and can unknowingly transmit the virus to others.
Some disease-causing viruses have RNA instead of DNA as their genetic material. RNA viruses include the influenza virus, HIV, and the common cold virus.