Top 10 most common viral infections

Viral infections

Viruses are tiny germs that cause some of the most common infections worldwide, including the current global COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the most frequent viral infections include:

1. The common cold and the flu

Both are upper respiratory tract infections and are transmitted through the air via virus-contaminated droplets or through direct contact with infected secretions. Influenza is a disease caused by RNA viruses (Orthomyxoviridae family) and the most common symptoms are: fever, chills, cough, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue. Although flu symptoms can initially be similar to those of a cold, the flu is highly contagious, having more severe symptoms and requiring a longer recovery period for the body. Unlike the common cold, severe influenza infections can lead to pneumonia or even death. To reduce the risk of infection with viruses that cause the cold or the flu, it is important to adopt several measures. Among them: using disposable items if a family member is infected and cleaning household surfaces with special solutions – surface disinfectant, floor disinfectants.

2. Herpes

The herpes virus, or herpes, causes oral and genital infections characterized by the presence of specific ulcerative lesions (fluid-filled blisters and ulcerations of the skin and mucosa). The HSV type II strain is mostly transmitted sexually, while HSV type I can be transmitted both orally and through genital contact. Transmission can occur even if there are no specific symptoms. Genital herpes is classified as a sexually transmitted infection and can be transmitted to the child during childbirth. After infection, the viruses are transported along the sensory nerves to the nerve cell body, where they remain throughout life. Causes for recurrence may include: stress, low immunity, and exposure to sunlight.

3. Chickenpox (Varicella)

Chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which is part of the herpesvirus family, and is highly contagious. These viruses infect several tissues during the primary infection and then become latent; they can reactivate later, causing the disease when the immune system is weakened. Common symptoms of chickenpox are: fever, malaise, itchy rash (red spots, tiny fluid-filled blisters, and crusted lesions). Chickenpox can also cause more serious complications, including pneumonia, encephalitis, and secondary skin infections. Hand hygiene is essential in preventing and reducing the risk of infection. Frequent hand washing is necessary, but when the situation does not allow for it, using a disinfectant solution is the most effective way to protect your health: biocidal hand disinfectant, alcohol-based hand disinfectant or alcohol-based disinfectant gel.

4. Mumps

Mumps is a highly contagious viral infection caused by a virus. It starts with a few days of fever, malaise, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, and loss of appetite, followed by the enlargement of the salivary glands. The duration of the illness is approximately 7-10 days, and its obvious hallmark is swollen cheeks, inflammation of the parotid glands (the salivary glands located between the ear and the jaw). Serious complications of mumps include meningitis, encephalitis, and deafness. Mumps can be prevented through vaccination. The virus is spread directly from person to person through respiratory droplets expelled during sneezing or coughing.

5. Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus that infects the human epidermis and mucous membranes. HPV infection is extremely common. It is estimated that all sexually active men and women acquire an HPV infection at some point in their lives. Certain types of HPV, known as high-risk HPV types, are known to cause cervical cancer and other types of cancer. Other types of HPV cause genital warts or warts elsewhere on the body. HPV is highly contagious and spreads through close contact, including sexual contact. There is no specific treatment to cure HPV infection, although treatments are available for warts and cancers caused by HPV. Most people with HPV never know they are infected and never develop any problems, signs, or symptoms related to the infection.

6. Measles

Measles is a viral childhood disease caused by a virus. The infection is highly contagious and spreads through the air, via coughing and sneezing, with the virus surviving for up to 2 hours in the space where the infected person coughed or sneezed. The incubation period of the virus is 7-14 days, and signs and symptoms include: high fever, cough, runny nose, loss of appetite, and red eyes with abundant secretions (conjunctivitis). Complications of measles include ear infections, pneumonia, and encephalitis (brain infection), the latter causing seizures, mental retardation, and even death. In pregnant women, measles can cause miscarriage or premature birth. If a family member falls ill, limit direct contact with them as much as possible, while adopting sanitization and disinfection measures for the living space by using: surface disinfectants, floor disinfectants, universal disinfectants.

7. Rubella

Rubella, also called "German measles," is a contagious disease also caused by a virus. The infection is usually mild, with fever and a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body (lasting about 3 days). Older children and adults may also have swollen glands and cold-like symptoms before the rash appears. About half of the people who get rubella show no symptoms. Rubella is very dangerous for unimmunized women who become infected during pregnancy, especially in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy (first trimester), as there is a risk of miscarriage or transmitting the virus to the fetus, causing congenital defects at birth.

8. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) causes an infection that, if left untreated, triggers Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). AIDS progressively attacks and destroys the body's immune system. The main cause of HIV/AIDS contamination is interaction with an HIV-seropositive person, and transmission occurs in three main ways: sexually, through blood (when using contaminated blood products or infected syringes), and transplacentally (during pregnancy and breastfeeding). HIV infection is generally a slow-progressing disease in which the virus is present throughout the body in all stages of the disease.

9. Viral hepatitis

Hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver, is most often caused by hepatitis A, B, and C viruses, which are the most common. Hepatitis viruses reproduce (multiply) primarily in liver cells. When the liver is inflamed, it no longer functions well within the body, which leads to many of the symptoms, signs, and problems associated with any type of hepatitis. Symptoms of acute viral hepatitis include fatigue, flu-like symptoms, dark urine, pale stools, fever, and jaundice; Hepatitis infections can be prevented by avoiding exposure to viruses, through injectable immunoglobulins, or through vaccines.

10. Viral conjunctivitis

Viral conjunctivitis is one of the types of conjunctivitis that can affect eye health, being caused by a systemic or local infection. Viral conjunctivitis involves the inflammation of the mucous membrane around the eyeball and on the back of the eyelids. Conjunctivitis is characterized by the following symptoms: redness of one or both eyes, excessive tearing, a burning sensation or feeling of a foreign body in the eye, photophobia, conjunctival discharge, and eye pain. Viral conjunctivitis is contagious. To avoid infection, it is important for medical personnel to disinfect their hands before and after examining a patient and also to disinfect their equipment immediately after the examination using an instrument disinfectant.

How do you prevent viral infections?

Here are some recommendations that will help you prevent viral infections: get enough sleep; drink plenty of fluids, especially water; adopt a diet based on fruits and vegetables; wear a protective mask when there is a risk of coming into contact with infected people; frequently sanitize and clean your workspace and living space using specific solutions: surface disinfectants, followed by cleaning the skin with hand disinfectants.