Rhinovirus belongs to the Picornaviridae family. As the name implies, it is an RNA virus of very small size. It can be described as a non-enveloped, single-stranded virus with a positive-sense genome. This virus is best known for causing the common cold. Rhinovirus has also been implicated in causing bronchitis and is the virus most often seen in attacks of asthma. It has a specific interaction with eosinophils to active virus specific T cells. This is an important part of the immune system in fighting virus infections. The most common disease caused by this virus, the common cold, shows symptoms such as fever, cough, and nasal congestion. It seems to most often begin with a child and can be spread from one person to another. The most important route of transmission is through hand to hand contact. This virus multiples successfully only in tissues that are slightly below normal body temperatures (33-35C). Rhinovirus will not grow if the temperature varies a few degrees. It has an incubation period of one to three days. Vaccines have not been efficient against infection because there are too many strains or serotypes. Successful vaccines would have to contain hundred's of different antigens, which is not practical. Unfortunately, the recessed antigens are too inaccessible for either immune surveillance or for antibody fit. For decades, people have come up with their own "get well quick" solutions to the common cold. These involved anything from eating certain foods to taking extra vitamin C. One of the most well known home remedies is chicken soup. It has some sort of recuperative power that is known to shorten the length and relieve symptoms of a cold. The active ingredient is unknown. None of these remedies have been medically proved to have an effect in the infection. For now the best cure is to get plenty of fluids and take over the counter medications such as nasal decongestants, antihistamines, and analgesics. These products will help relieve symptoms caused by the rhinovirus. With the medicine of today, a perfect cure or even a vaccine is next to impossible.
*Disclaimer - This report was written by a student participaring in a microbiology course at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. The accuracy of the contents of this report is not guaranteed and it is recommended that you seek additional sources of information to verify the contents.
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