Glossary | German Center for Infection Research

Last-resort antibiotic

Last-resort antibiotics are antibiotics whose use should be reserved for specific situations, such as severe infections caused by resistant bacteria.

Latency

Latency refers to a state in which a virus remains in infected cells without continuously producing new viral particles. The virus can be reactivated later.

Lectin

Lectins are common proteins that bind to carbohydrates and that play a role, amongst other things, in the formation of bacterial biofilms.

Lentivirus

Lentiviruses form a genus within the retrovirus family. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the best-known examples.

Liver cirrhosis

can develop as a consequence of chronic , a fatty liver or alcohol abuse. Liver cells are destroyed and replaced by connective tissue.

Long COVID

Long COVID refers to persistent or newly emerging health symptoms following an infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Lymphocyte

Lymphocytes are white blood cells that make up part of the adaptive .