Viruses have direct effects on host cells, including causing cell death, cell swelling, altered cell membrane permeability, and induction of malignant cell transformation. Viruses replicate and proliferate in the host cell and block the cell’s own anabolism, releasing large numbers of progeny at a time after maturation, leading to cell lysis and death. Viruses with capsular membranes do not cause cell lysis and death, but rather release progeny one by one in a “budding” manner, causing turbid swelling, crumpling, and minor cytopathic lesions through mechanical damage and cytotoxic effects. Viruses can cause changes in the membrane of infected cells, leading to the fusion of infected cells with neighboring uninfected cells. All or part of the DNA of certain DNA viruses and the cDNA synthesized by retroviruses can be inserted into the genes of the host cells, leading to changes in cellular genetic traits, and under the right conditions can induce malignant changes in the cells. However, the damage caused by viruses to the host organism includes not only the damage and dysfunction of tissues and organs caused by their cell-killing effect, but also the damage of tissues and organs caused by the virus-induced immune response of the organism.
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