A virus in the blood.
A condition occurring at various times in some viral infections in which the infecting virus is present in large amounts in the blood. In other viral infections, the organisms are merely transported in the blood on their way to target tissues or organs.
The presence of viral particles within the bloodstream is termed viraemia. This phenomenon can manifest during specific stages of various viral infections. Some viruses, like those responsible for conditions such as viral hepatitis, yellow fever, and poliomyelitis, travel through the bloodstream to reach their intended target tissue or organ, such as the liver, where they replicate. On the other hand, viruses like rubella and HIV multiply within certain white blood cells, using them as vehicles for spreading. In cases where viraemia is a characteristic of a viral infection, there’s a potential risk of transmitting the infection to others through blood or blood products, or through insects that feed on blood.