They can enter through any moist, unarmed passage such as open wounds (wounds that have not yet clotted and been armed with white blood cells) and the eyes. The famous HIV enters through the female orifice. Contrary to popular belief, most pathogens are destroyed going down the digestive tract because of the extremely acidic stomach and extremely alkaline small intestines.However, there is always a fair chance that some viruses survive and enter the bloodstream in the small intestines, or infect epithelial cells in the pharynx or esophagus.
Viruses infect humans by attaching to host cells and injecting their genetic material into the cell. The virus then hijacks the cell's machinery to replicate itself and spread throughout the body, causing the host cell to produce more viruses. This process ultimately leads to the virus causing symptoms of infection in the human host.
Many common viruses (like flu, common cold, viral gastroenteritis known as "stomach flu", etc.) enter through the germs on your hands that you "caught" from someone else by touching them or something they touched. Or you can also get contact with these types of virus particles that come off an infected person if you are exposed to their respiratory droplets in the air. They are carried for short distances on droplets from coughs and sneezes and can be breathed into your respiratory system through your mouth or nose.
They can also be spread by sharing drinking or eating utensils (e.g. forks, straws, glasses, etc.) which allows the viruses to get into your gastrointestinal system through the mucous tissue of your mouth. If these droplets containing the virions come in contact with your mucus membranes (usually of the eyes and respiratory or gastrointestinal systems including the mouth and nose), then the virus can attach to the mucous tissue cells using special proteins on their coats and enter the cells to begin using you as the host and replication factory. See the related question below for more details of this viral process of the lytic cycle that many, but not all, viruses use to reproduce.
Some kinds of viruses use different methods to enter the body, however, such as through sexual contact in the example of viral STDs. This sexual transmission is through the reproductive system organs and mucous tissues (like Herpes and HIV/AIDS).
Some require blood to blood contact and can be passed from a mother to a fetus directly in the blood or to others in transfusions (for example, hepatitis B). Some can be transferred to a fetus through mother's milk and other body fluids. There are also some that can enter through a cut or opening in the skin (e.g. via infected needles etc.).
See the related questions below for more information, there are many details re:specific modes of transmission in the question below: "How can you protect yourself and others from viruses and flu?"
Viruses that infect bacteria are called bacteriophages, or phages. They are specific to infecting and replicating within bacterial cells.
Phage viruses specifically infect bacteria and have no capability to infect human cells. In fact, phage therapy is being explored as a potential treatment for bacterial infections in humans.
Biological viruses are microscopic infectious agents that replicate inside living cells, causing illnesses in animals, plants, and humans. Computer viruses are malicious software programs that replicate and spread within computer systems, causing damage to files and system operations. While biological viruses infect living organisms, computer viruses infect electronic devices.
Computer viruses and biological viruses are similar in that they both replicate and spread, often causing harm to the system they infect. However, computer viruses are created by humans to infiltrate electronic devices, while biological viruses are naturally occurring and infect living organisms. Additionally, computer viruses can be removed by antivirus software, whereas there is no definite cure for biological viruses.
Bacteriophage
Yes, they do.
Viruses that are harmless to humans can be used to infect bacteria or other pests eg rabbits
Bacteria,fungi,or parasitic worms invade the human body.
Yes that is correct.
There are quite a few different dog viruses that are infectious to human beings. Other dog viruses die before they can infect humans.
Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria.
YOU don't infect other computers with viruses.
Chickenpox is one of eight herpes viruses known to infect humans and vertebrates.
HIV infects only humans. There are similar viruses that affect other species.
viruses are specific to the cells they infect called host cells
Caulimoviridea are retro viruses that infect plants.
According to the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, there are 4 types of Influenza viruses, but only three infect humans (A, B & C). Influenza D infects cattle and is not known to infect people.