Hantavirus is classified as which type of pathogen?

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Multiple Choice

Hantavirus is classified as which type of pathogen?

This item tests recognizing basic pathogen types. Hantavirus is a virus, an infectious agent that consists of genetic material inside a protein coat and, in many cases, a lipid envelope. Viruses cannot reproduce on their own and must hijack a host cell’s machinery to replicate. This distinguishes them from other pathogen categories: bacteria are living cells with their own metabolism; fungi are cellular, often larger eukaryotes; prions are misfolded proteins that lack nucleic acids. So hantavirus fits squarely in the virus category.

This item tests recognizing basic pathogen types. Hantavirus is a virus, an infectious agent that consists of genetic material inside a protein coat and, in many cases, a lipid envelope. Viruses cannot reproduce on their own and must hijack a host cell’s machinery to replicate. This distinguishes them from other pathogen categories: bacteria are living cells with their own metabolism; fungi are cellular, often larger eukaryotes; prions are misfolded proteins that lack nucleic acids. So hantavirus fits squarely in the virus category.

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