Which drug among the following is primarily used to treat viral infections?

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Multiple Choice

Which drug among the following is primarily used to treat viral infections?

Acyclovir is an antiviral that specifically targets viruses by exploiting a virus-encoded enzyme. It is a nucleoside analog that, once inside an infected cell, is phosphorylated first by viral thymidine kinase and then by cellular kinases to become acyclovir triphosphate. This active form competes with the normal building blocks of viral DNA and inhibits viral DNA polymerase, effectively halting viral DNA synthesis and terminating the growing DNA chain. Because the initial activation requires the viral enzyme, replication is largely restricted to infected cells, which reduces harm to the host. It is primarily used against herpesviruses such as HSV-1, HSV-2, and varicella-zoster virus. The other drugs shown are not antiviral: doxycycline and clindamycin are antibiotics that fight bacteria, and fluconazole is an antifungal. Hence, acyclovir is the drug most appropriate for treating viral infections.

Acyclovir is an antiviral that specifically targets viruses by exploiting a virus-encoded enzyme. It is a nucleoside analog that, once inside an infected cell, is phosphorylated first by viral thymidine kinase and then by cellular kinases to become acyclovir triphosphate. This active form competes with the normal building blocks of viral DNA and inhibits viral DNA polymerase, effectively halting viral DNA synthesis and terminating the growing DNA chain. Because the initial activation requires the viral enzyme, replication is largely restricted to infected cells, which reduces harm to the host. It is primarily used against herpesviruses such as HSV-1, HSV-2, and varicella-zoster virus.

The other drugs shown are not antiviral: doxycycline and clindamycin are antibiotics that fight bacteria, and fluconazole is an antifungal. Hence, acyclovir is the drug most appropriate for treating viral infections.

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