The 12 most dangerous viruses in history
12 dangerous viruses
For some dangerous viral infections, vaccines and antiviral medications are available, which has allowed for the prevention of widespread infection and has helped sick individuals recover. Over time, several dangerous viruses have crossed from animals to humans, causing large outbreaks and numerous deaths. However, the new coronavirus that is currently causing outbreaks across the globe, although it has a lower mortality rate than other viruses—such as Ebola, for example—still represents a serious threat to people and medical services. Here are 12 of the most dangerous viruses:
1. Marburg virus
The Marburg virus was identified in 1967, when small outbreaks occurred among laboratory workers in Germany. They had been exposed to infected monkeys that were imported from Uganda. The symptoms of the Marburg virus are similar to Ebola in that both viruses can cause hemorrhagic fever, meaning that infected people develop high fever and bleeding throughout the body, which can lead to shock, organ failure, and death.
2. Ebola virus
Similar to the Marburg virus, Ebola virus infection causes Ebola hemorrhagic fever, an extremely serious disease with an average mortality rate of 50%, although it can reach 90% for certain strains. The virus can be easily transmitted through direct contact with blood and other bodily fluids of an infected person. The disease is most commonly found in Africa, with the first infected patients being diagnosed in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan. Epidemics have been controlled by isolating infected patients, using protective equipment—gloves, face masks, the use of disinfectants, as well as by the proper storage/disposal of waste.
3. Rabies virus
This virus causes Rabies, a viral disease of mammals. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected animals, especially in the case of dog bites. Although rabies vaccines for pets, which were introduced in the 1920s, have helped make the disease extremely rare in the developed world, this condition remains a serious problem in India and parts of Africa. One effective precautionary measure is the use of protective equipment (gloves), cleaning rooms and all objects that have come into contact with sick people and rabid animals using surface disinfectants, hand disinfectants.
4. HIV
The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is considered the most dangerous and lethal virus of the modern world. It belongs to the retrovirus family and, as a result, cannot be completely removed from the body because it has the ability to insert its genetic information into the genetic code of the host cell. In hospitals, as a preventive measure, it is important to clean (remove organic and inorganic dirt) medical-surgical instruments and equipment, followed mandatorily by disinfection, involving cleaning with instrument disinfectants.
5. Smallpox virus
Smallpox was one of the most devastating diseases known to humanity, causing millions of deaths before it was eradicated. One in three infected people died, and survivors were left with permanent deep scars and often lost their vision. The smallpox vaccine, created in 1796, was the first vaccine developed that proved its effectiveness. Starting in 1967, a worldwide intensive vaccination campaign was launched, so that 10 years later, the last case was diagnosed in Somalia.
6. Hantavirus
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) was identified in 1993 in the USA and is transmitted to humans from mice. So far, 700 people have been diagnosed, 36% of whom died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC recommends reducing or eliminating contact with any rodents (e.g., at home, campsites, barns, warehouses) by reducing rodent access or protecting against them. Sealing gaps and holes, placing traps, and keeping areas as clean and food-free as possible will certainly help. Insofar as a person must come into contact with rodents or areas where they live, it is important to use gloves, masks, and use surface disinfectants for cleaning contaminated areas.
7. Influenza virus
The WHO estimates that during a typical flu season, up to 650,000 people worldwide will die from the disease. However, occasionally, when a new strain of flu emerges, a pandemic occurs whose spread is much faster and with a higher mortality rate. To prevent the flu, specialists recommend limiting public gatherings, using protective masks, avoiding direct contact with infected people, as well as frequently using products such as hand disinfectant, surface disinfectant.
8. Dengue virus
Dengue fever is a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes that is common in warm tropical areas. The first cases appeared in the 1950s in the Philippines and Thailand, subsequently spreading across the globe. It is estimated that the Dengue virus affects up to 400 million people per year. Although Dengue fever has a lower mortality rate than other viruses, it can cause an Ebola-like disease called Dengue hemorrhagic fever, whose mortality rate is 20% if the disease is left untreated. There is no specific treatment for Dengue fever, but early detection of the disease's progression to the severe form and access to appropriate medical care have lowered the mortality rate from 20% to under 1%.
9. Rotavirus
Rotavirus is one of the most common causes of severe diarrheal disease in young children worldwide. The WHO estimates that approximately 450,000 children under the age of 5 have died due to rotavirus infection, which, moreover, could be prevented by vaccination. Rotavirus has increased resistance in the environment, surviving between 9 and 19 days. Pathogens spread easily, which is why it is important to clean frequently used surfaces (bathroom faucets, toilet bowls, floors) with appropriate substances that kill germs, such as surface disinfectant, biocidal disinfectant.
10. SARS-CoV
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease caused by a new type of coronavirus, SARS-CoV. The virus was first identified in 2003 during an outbreak in China, the infection being present in bats in the first phase, and subsequently it was transmitted to some mammals called civets before infecting humans. SARS-CoV is transmitted through the air via respiratory droplets and through contact with contaminated surfaces. The disease causes fever, chills, body aches, and often progresses to pneumonia, a severe condition in which the lungs become inflamed and fill with pus.
11. SARS-CoV-2
It is the new coronavirus that the whole world is currently facing. It was first discovered in December 2019, in Wuhan, China. COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, has an estimated mortality rate of 2.3%. In August 2021, the first COVID-19 vaccine was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, called Pfizer-BioNTech, being the first vaccine to be approved after a large-scale clinical trial.
12. MERS-CoV
Middle East Respiratory Syndrome is a viral respiratory infection caused by a new coronavirus – MERS-CoV, which triggered an outbreak in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and another in South Korea in 2015. The disease infected camels before passing to humans and caused fever, cough, and shortness of breath in infected people. MERS often progresses to severe pneumonia and has an estimated mortality rate of approximately 35%. There is no vaccine available to prevent this disease. The best way to reduce the chances of infection is frequent hand washing, avoiding contact with camels, using hand disinfectants and avoiding the consumption of products containing raw milk from animals.
