Humans have been living with viruses since time immemorable. Some of these viruses are deadlier than others and have claimed so many lives. Previously some viruses which were only affecting animals are now affecting humans as well.
However, with the advancement of science, some viral vaccines and new antiviral drugs have come up to keep these viruses at bay. The best news for the human race is we have managed to eradicate the Small Pox virus from the world. Here is a list of the top 10 deadliest viruses in the world.
Top 10 Deadliest Viruses
1. SARS-CoV-2
SARS-CoV-2 also known as Covid 19 is one of the deadliest viruses that belong to the family of SARS-CoV. It was first identified in December 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Ever since then it started spreading like wildfire all around the world. It has caused over five million deaths worldwide.
Lockdowns started soon after that and even travel was banned all over the globe. This disease posed an even greater risk to people with co-morbidities. Common symptoms include fever, cough, loss of taste or smell, and shortness of breath and more serious symptoms include breathing difficulties, chest pain, and loss of mobility. After a vigorous effort from the scientists, many vaccines for the virus were made in record time. The vaccines included Covaxin, Covishield, Pfizer-BioNTech.
2. HIV
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Or HIV is a leading problem in today’s world. “It is still the one that is the biggest killer,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease physician, and spokesman for the Infectious Disease Society of America.
The disease was identified in 1980. It has claimed nearly 32 million lives since its spread to humans. However many antiviral drugs have come up now which has made living with this disease possible. HIV still continues to wreak havoc in many low- and middle-income countries, where 95% of new HIV infections occur.
3. Marburg Virus
As per WHO this virus was first discovered in 1967. Marburg virus symptoms are similar to Ebola in that both viruses can cause hemorrhagic fever. The fatality rate of the first outbreak in 1967 was 24%. But it increased to 83% in the 1998-2000 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and 100% in the 2017 outbreak in Uganda, making it one of the deadliest viruses on earth.
4. Ebola Virus
The first human attack of Ebola occurred in the year 1976 in the Republic of Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This virus spreads through coming in contact with blood or other body fluids, or tissue from infected people or animals.
The fatality rate varies for different strains of the virus. For the Bundibugyo strain, the fatality rate is up to 50%, and it is up to 71% for the Sudan strain but Ebola Reston has no effect on humans. The most deadliest outbreak of the virus occurred in West Africa in early 2014. In December 2020, the Ervebo vaccine was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration which helps to keep Zaire ebola virus in check.
5. Hanta Virus
Hanta virus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) first came to light in the U.S. in 1993. The first case was a Navajo man and his fiancée living in the Four Corners area of the United States who died within days of developing shortness of breath. Just a few months after this virus was isolated from a deer mouse in the house of the infected people. More than 600 people in the U.S. are now suffering from HPS, and 36% have died from the disease. Spread does not occur by direct contact but by exposure to the droppings of infected mice.
6. Dengue
This virus was first found in 1950 in Philippines and Thailand and has since spread throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the globe. It has been declared endemic in many areas of the globe. This disease spreads through the bite of a mosquito called Aedes aegypti. It leads to haemorrhagic fever which has a mortality rate of 20% if left untreated. It has mainly four types DEN 1, DEN 2, DEN 3, DEN 4 and DEN 5.
7. Kyasanur Forest Virus
This virus was first dicovered in woodlands on the southwestern coast of India in 1955. This particular virus transmits by the bite of ticks but according to scientists, it’s still difficult to determine any carriers. It is of the opinion that rats, birds and boars could be hosts. The symptoms of the Kyasanur forest virus includes high fever, strong headaches, and muscle pain. It can even lead to bleeding as well.
8. Japanese Encephalitis Virus
Japanese Encephalitis Virus is the most frequent cause of epidemic viral encephalitis in several countries across Asia. Symptoms include fever, neck rigidity, altered consciousness, headache, tremors, incoordination, and convulsions.
The death rate of this disease is 30% and the survivors experience serious neurologic or psychiatric sequelae. The disease spreads by infected Culex mosquitoes that live in Asian rice fields. There is an inactive vaccine for this disease now.
9. Lassa Virus
Lassa Virus was first found in Nigeria. It was a nurse who first contacted this virus. The virus is transmitted by rodents. Scientists are of the opinion that about 15 percent of rodents in western Africa carry the virus.
The symptoms are gradual and include fever, general weakness, and malaise. After a few days, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cough, and abdominal pain may follow. Ribavirin, an antiviral drug was found to be successful against this disease.
10. Junin Virus
This virus causes Argentine hemorrhagic fever which leads to significant morbidity and mortality. The spread occurs through aerosolization of host rodent excreta and is endemic to the humid pampas of Argentina.
The first case of this virus was recorded in 1958. The name of the virus came from the name of a city called Junin. Symptoms include malaise, retroorbital pain, nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, photophobia, dizziness, petechiae, and constipation or mild diarrhea. The current means of treatment is giving immune plasma.
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