What is Viral shedding?

Viral shedding is the expulsion and release of virus progeny following successful reproduction during a host cell infection. Once replication has been completed and the host cell is exhausted of all resources in making viral progeny, the viruses may begin to leave the cell by several methods.

The term is variously used to refer to viral particles shedding from a single cell, from one part of the body into another, and from a body into the environment, where the virus may infect another.

Vaccine shedding is a form of viral shedding which can occur in instances of infection caused by some attenuated vaccines.