Of all the organisms existing on the planet, the largest coverage area and abundance are among pathogens, including bacteria, bacilli, and, of course, viruses invisible to the human eye. The latter are pathogens that differ in symptoms, the nature of the course and severity.
It is quite difficult to identify the most dangerous virus for humans, since various approaches to the analysis should be applied. For example, there are pathogens that change the overall mortality rate of a population. Others lead to the death of already infected people. Still others kill the owner faster than he has time to distribute them to other people. For example, with a mortality rate of up to 3%, the Ebola virus and the Spanish flu pandemic killed more than 100 million people. There is also a historical approach to assessing the harmfulness of a virus. It demonstrates which microorganism has killed the most people throughout the history of mankind.
We offer you a list of the 10 most dangerous viruses on the planet that annually take hundreds and thousands of human lives. Add some statistics and figures, as well as data on the characteristic symptoms for a viral disease of one type or another.
10. Arboviruses of the family Flaviviridae
These dangerous pathogens cause a specific disease - dengue fever. The patient is concerned about acute pain in the musculoskeletal system (joints, especially knee joints, spine). The patient also notes hyperthermia, severe fever and fever, nausea and vomiting. Often there is an itchy rash on the body. It is known that if the disease becomes severe, then in half the cases it is fatal. You can pick up arbovirus through an insect bite (tick, mosquito, etc.). Before you travel to the area where the virus spreads, take care of preventive vaccinations and other personal protective methods.
9. Influenza virus
In the modern world, the “common cold” does not cause panic in people, as it can be easily treated. Simply put, human immunity is resistant to many strains of infection of the respiratory tract. But only few people know that in the world there are more than 2 thousand variants of the virus, which are classified by serotype (B, A, C) and strains. Serotype A is life threatening, as it causes massive epidemics and even pandemics. Every year, from a seasonal outbreak of influenza, up to half a million people die (most often preschoolers and the elderly). The virulent strain of the virus caused the so-called "Spanish flu", which in 1918 affected about a third of the world's population, killing about 100 million patients. At the same time, people with strong immunity were at greatest risk, which ultimately provoked the so-called “cytokine storm”.
8. Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
A specific disease can mask in symptoms for other pathologies, so a person may not suspect for a long time the presence of a virus in the body. So the disease gradually becomes chronic, which provokes liver failure and, as often happens, death. The virus collects annually about 350 thousand patients, and in developing countries. Relentless statistics say that there are 200 million carriers of this dangerous microorganism in the world. Unfortunately, the disease is not amenable to therapy, and an effective vaccine has not been developed. Hepatitis C infection occurs through the bloodstream, and the source is often medical and cosmetic tools, unprotected sexual intercourse, and poor hygiene.
7. Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
This hepatitis virus leaves the patient a chance for recovery, but in 20-30% of cases it still progresses to a chronic form, causing cirrhosis or liver oncology. In a year, the "reaper" takes away about 700 thousand human lives. Also, like the previous type of hepatitis virus, it provokes an asymptomatic disease that slowly attacks the liver for years. Most often, the disease is diagnosed in children. Carriers of the virus may not suffer from the consequences, but actively transmit it to others. The virus is resistant to temperature fluctuations. It is transmitted through blood drops in the household way, as well as through injections, instruments, sharp instruments, sexual intercourse.
6. Rabies virus
It occurs in warm-blooded animals and is transmitted from them to humans. It causes a rapid and irreversible damage to the central nervous system. The virus is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal during a bite. The temperature rises to subfebrile indicators, the patient complains of sleep disturbances, notes attacks of aggression and hallucinations, paranoid delirium. Following there is paralysis of the limbs and eye muscles, the respiratory system, which leads to death. Unfortunately, the symptoms of the disease appear already at the stage when the virus enters the brain and causes degradation of nerve cells. Only a vaccine made as soon as possible after a sting of a stray animal can save a life.
5. Rotavirus
It is a group of viruses that is transmitted by the fecal-oral route. It causes attacks of acute diarrhea, dehydration and is observed mainly in young children. Despite the available methods of therapy, the disease annually takes about 450 thousand preschoolers (mainly residents of underdeveloped countries). Rotavirus is a disease of “dirty hands”, therefore, the best prevention is to observe personal hygiene rules, especially after visiting public places.
4. Ebola virus
The microorganism causes hemorrhagic fever. It is transmitted through biological fluids, infected tissues and blood. It is accompanied by a sharp increase in temperature, muscle aches, lethargy, muscle cramps, migraines and sore throats. Nausea and vomiting, indigestion, skin rashes, kidney and liver dysfunction can also be observed. In severe form, external and internal hemorrhages are noted. Ebola mortality in 2015 was 42% of those affected.
3. Smallpox virus
Surviving patients can be seen from afar - the skin is streaked with numerous scars. The first symptoms of “smallpox” are high fever and a rash on the body (purulent blisters). In case of complications, head cramps, vertigo, pain in the sacro-lumbar region, nausea and vomiting are noted. In the 20th century, the epidemic took about 300-500 million lives. The last case was registered in 1977. Climate change in recent years may lead to a return of the disease. By the way, the smallpox virus infects only humans.
2. The virus of the family Flaviviridae
The pathogen is carried by mosquitoes living in areas of South America and on the African continent. Once in the body, the virus causes a "yellow fever", which is accompanied by jaundice. Since the 80s, the spread of the disease has been increasing, due to a deterioration in immunity in humans, climate change. With a severe form of the disease, the liver does not cope with the function and death occurs. Tourists visiting the above countries are advised to vaccinate.
1. Human Immunodeficiency Virus
It is considered the most dangerous virus that is transmitted through biological fluids and blood. The most common causes of the spread of HIV are unsterilized medical and cosmetic devices, drug addiction (reuse of syringes), and promiscuous sexual intercourse. The average life expectancy of an infected person without adequate therapy is 9–11 years.
These are the dangerous microorganisms that are constantly near us and threaten life. To prevent infection, get vaccinated in a timely manner, follow personal hygiene rules, use barrier methods of protection and avoid contact with infected people.