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slow virus

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slow virus

any of a class of virus-like disease-causing agents known as prions that are present in the body for a long time before becoming active or infectious and are very resistant to radiation and similar factors: believed to be the cause of BSE and scrapie
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

slow virus

[′slō ′vī·rəs]
(virology)
Any member of a group of animal viruses characterized by prolonged periods of incubation and an extended clinical course lasting months or years.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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References in periodicals archive
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causing AIDS is one such slow virus, often taking years from the time of infection before a disease state is present.
Slow viruses
Various scientists believe it may be caused by infection from a slow virus, toxic agents, autoimmunity or genetic factors (one study found relatives of Alzheimer's patients more likely to have children with Down's).
A common medical denominator; specific neuropathological changes shared by Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome are helping scientists to understand both enigmatic disorders
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