Humans have been battling with some of the most dangerous viruses for centuries, and we still are now. Some of these dangerous viruses have claimed a lot of lives before humans got them under control. We have also found vaccine and other measures to prevent them from spreading and occurring in the future. As for some viruses, there is no cure or vaccines for them at all. That makes them the deadly viruses that we don’t want to come across. Since the world has been facing the danger from a very dangerous virus now, let’s learn some more about them. You will find 10 most dangerous viruses that humankind is facing in 2020, so check them out.
10. Rotavirus
Rotavirus is a leading cause of severe diarrheal illness among babies and young children. Nearly every child in the world is infected with a rotavirus at least once by the age of five. It might not look serious, but it is one of the most dangerous viruses especially to kids. The virus is a killer in the developing world where rehydration treatments are not widely available.
Transmission
If a child has rotavirus, it presents in their poop before symptoms start and up to 10 days. During that time, rotavirus can spread to their hands when the child wipes after using the toilet. If the kid doesn’t wash their hands, the virus can spread to everything they touch. That is how the virus gets in to the environment and are likely to infect others.
Signs & Symptoms
Symptoms usually start about 2 days after a person get the virus. The first sign would be vomiting and watery diarrhea that can last between three to eight days. Additional symptoms may include loss of appetite and dehydration which is dangerous for infants and young children. Symptoms of dehydration includes decreased urination, dry mouth and throat, feeling dizzy when standing up, and unusual sleepiness or fussiness.
Treatment
Since the virus causes severe vomiting and diarrhea, it can lead to dehydration. The best way to protect against dehydration is to drink plenty of liquids. Severe dehydration may require hospitalization for treatment with intravenous fluids.
Prevention
Two vaccines are now available to protect children from rotavirus. Both vaccines are in a form of drops putting in the child’s mouth. Children should receive all doses of rotavirus vaccine before they turn 8 months old.
9. Marburg Virus
Marburg virus is a highly virulent disease that causes haemorrhagic fever with a fatality ratio of up to 88%. This virus is in the same family as the virus that causes Ebola virus disease. The virus got its name from Marburg city in Germany, where the outbreak began. Apart from Marburg, the virus outbreak also occurred in Frankfurt and Belgrade in 1967. The virus can cause bleeding from internal organs and bodily orifices in both humans and non-human primates. That makes it one of the most dangerous viruses to be aware of. The outbreak associated with laboratory work using African green monkeys imported from Uganda. The outbreak also occurred in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, South Africa, and Uganda. The mortality rate in the first outbreak was 25%, but it was more than 80% in the 1998-2000 outbreak.
Transmission
We don’t know how the virus first transmits from the animal host to humans. In human cases, the virus spreads via person-to-person contact, and it may happen in several ways. Those include direct contact with droplets of body fluids from infected persons, or contact with objects contaminated with infectious tissues. Spread of the virus between humans has occurred in close environments and direct contacts. A common example is through caregivers in the home or in the hospital, we call that nosocomial transmission.
Signs & Symptoms
After an incubation period between 5 to 10 days, symptom onset is sudden fever, chills, headache, and myalgia. Around the fifth day after the onset of symptoms, a maculopapular rash may occur especially on chest, back, and stomach. Then, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, sore throat, abdominal pain, and diarrhoea may appear. Symptoms become increasingly severe and can include jaundice, inflammation of the pancreas, severe weight loss, delirium, shock, liver failure, etc.
Treatment
There is no specific treatment for Marburg virus, only supportive hospital therapy is the main method of treatment. That includes balancing the patient’s fluids and electrolytes, maintaining oxygen status and blood pressure, and replacing lost blood. Treatment for any complicating infections also plays a part in reducing the symptoms.
Prevention
First of all, avoid contacts or consumption of fruit bats and sick non-human primates in central Africa. Secondary prevention is to avoid direct physical contact with the patients unless wearing protective gowns, gloves, and masks. The patients should be in strict isolation, and there should be sterilization or proper disposal of needles and equipment.
8. Hantavirus
Hantavirus is a family of viruses spread mainly by rodents and can cause varied disease syndromes in people worldwide. There are two types of Hantavirus: New World Hantavirus in the Americas and Old World Hantavirus in Europe and Asia. Each hantavirus stereotype has a specific rodent host species, particularly deer mouse.
Transmission
The virus transmits to people primarily through the aerosolization of viruses shed in infected rodents’ droppings, urine, or saliva. Aerosolization occurs when a virus is kicked up into the air, making it easy for you to inhale. After you inhale the virus, it reaches your lungs and begin to invade tiny blood vessels. Person-to-person is possible but only in some specific regions: North America.
Signs & Symptoms
Early symptoms of the virus includes fatigue, fever, and muscle aches. As it spreads throughout the body, the symptoms are lung congestion, fluid accumulation in the lungs, and shortness of breath. In some cases, some hantavirus can cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome as the disease progresses. It takes about one to five weeks for the signs and symptoms of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome to begin.
Treatment
There is no specific treatment, cure, or vaccine for hantavirus infection. The patients who notice early and receive medical care in an intensive unit may do better. In intensive care, patients receive oxygen therapy to help them through the period of severe respiratory distress.
Prevention
The prevention is to eliminate or minimize contact with rodents in your home, workplace, or campsite. Seal up holes and gaps in your home or garage. Place traps in and round your home to decrease rodent infection. Clean up any easy-to-get food.
7. Influenza
Does not sound very serious but influenza can cause death up to 500,000 worldwide during a typical flu season. Influenza is a viral infection that attacks your respiratory system, your nose, throat, and lungs. For most people, influenza resolves on its own but it can be deadly sometimes. Young children under age 5 and adults older than age 65 are the ones at higher risk of influenza.
Transmission
Flu viruses travel through the air in droplets when someone with the infection coughs, sneezes, or talks. You can inhale the droplets directly, or you can pick up the germs from an object like door knobs. Then you transfer them to your eyes, nose, or mouth from the hands that touched the objects. People with influenza are most contagious in the first three or four days after their illness begins.
Signs & Symptoms
The obvious symptoms that you can notice include fever over 38 degrees, aching muscles, chill and sweats, and headache. Following these symptoms are dry and persistent cough, nasal congestion, fatigue and weakness, and sore throat.
Treatment
Most people with influenza can treat themselves at home, and they don’t need to see a doctor. Patients can use antiviral drugs as a treatment option since they may reduce the length of your illness. For those who have flu symptoms and are at risk of complications, see your doctor right away. Complications include pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma flare-ups, heart problems, and ear infections.
Prevention
CDC recommends annual flu vaccination for everyone age 6 months and older every year to prevent influenza.
6. Dengue
Dengue has always been one of the most dangerous viruses since its first appearance in the 1950s. The outbreak began in the Philippines and Thailand, and has since spread throughout the tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Up to 40% of the world’s population which is about 3 billion people lives in areas where dengue is endemic. According to WHO, dengue sickens 50 to 100 million people per year.
Transmission
Dengue virus spread to people through the bite of the infected Aedes species mosquitos. These are the same types of mosquitos that spread Zika and Chikungunya viruses. These mosquitos spread the viruses through their bite during both day and night. Mosquitos become infected when they bite a person infected with the virus. Then they can spread the virus to other people through their bites.
Signs & Symptoms
Symptoms usually begin four to six days after the infection, and last for up to 10 days. The symptoms may include sudden high fever, severe headaches, pain behind the eyes, severe joint and muscle pain and fatigue. Patients may also experience nausea, vomiting, skin rash, and mild bleeding.
Treatment
There is no specific medicine to treat dengue infection. You can use acetaminophen to relieve pain if you think you have dengue fever. Avoid medicines with aspirin because it could worsen the bleeding. Patients should rest, drink plenty of fluids, and see the doctor if the symptoms develop.
Prevention
The best way to prevent the disease is to prevent bites from the mosquitos. If you live in or travel to a tropical area, make sure you protect yourself from mosquito bites. Use mosquito repellents both indoor and outdoor. Wear long sleeve shirts and long pants when you go outdoor.
5. Lassa Fever
Lass fever is an animal-borne or zoonotic acute viral illness. It is endemic in parts of West Africa including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Nigeria. The countries around those parts are also at risk because the animals that carry the virus is multimammate rats. These rats live throughout the region. The first case began in Nigeria back in 1969 in Lassa, the town that gives the virus the name. Lassa fever occur between 100,000 to 300,000 annually with approximately 5,000 deaths.
Transmission
The host of Lassa virus is multimammate rat, and this rodent is able to excrete virus in urine. This ability may last for an extended time period or maybe for the rest of its life. Transmission of Lassa virus to humans occurs most commonly through ingestion or inhalation. The rats shed the virus on urine and droppings and direct contact with these materials can lead to infection. The direct contacts are through touching the objects, eating contaminated food, or exposure to open cuts or sores.
Signs & Symptoms
The symptoms typically occur between one to three weeks after the patients comes into contact with the virus. Mild symptoms include slight fever, general malaise and weakness, and headache. Sometimes the disease may progress to more serious symptoms including hemorrhaging, respiratory distress, repeated vomiting, facial swelling, and shock. Death may occur within two weeks after symptom onset due to multi-organ failure.
Treatment
The main antiviral drug that medical staffs use to treat patients with Lassa virus is Ribavirin. It is the most effective drug to use in the early course of the illness. Patients should also receive supportive care consisting of maintenance of appropriate fluid and electrolyte balance, oxygenation, and blood pressure.
Prevention
If you live in or travel to the areas with the rodent, try to keep the home clean. Put the food away in containers to avoid rodent’s excretion. Do not consume rodents. Trapping in and around the house can help to reduce rodent populations.
4. MERS-CoV
MERS-CoV is a zoonotic virus that transfer between animals and people, and it first appeared in Saudi Arabia in 2012. The virus occurred in dromedaries in several countries in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. There were more than 2000 cases of the virus in over 20 countries, and some parts of Europe. According to CDC, about 3 to 4 out of 10 patients died of the virus.
Transmission
Humans can get the virus through direct or indirect contact with infected dromedary camels. Further transmission from the camels is also possible through bodily fluids. Consuming raw animal products is also the cause of the transmission of the virus as well. As for human-to-human spread, it occurs through close contact such as caring for or living with the patients.
Signs & Symptoms
The incubation period of the virus is from two to twenty four days with an average of five days. The symptoms of MERS range from none to mild or severe respiratory ailments such as fever, cough, pneumonia, etc. The symptoms starts with fever, cough, chills, and headaches following by nausea, abdominal pains, dizziness, and sore throat.
Treatment
There is no specific treatment for MERS-CoV besides supportive care. So far, there is also no effective vaccine available as well.
3. SARS
Short for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, SARS is a viral respiratory illness caused by coronavirus called SARS-CoV. It first appeared in Asia in February 2003 as a result of laboratory accidents. It was one of the most dangerous viruses that caused an epidemic in 26 countries. The illness then spread to more than two dozen countries in North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. The good thing is that there have not been any cases of SARS anywhere in the world since 2004. SARS is among the most dangerous viruses because its mortality rate is up to 9.6%.
Transmission
The transmission of SARS is primarily from person to person during the second week of illness by respiratory droplets. When a person with the virus coughs or sneezes, the drop propelled a short distance through the air. It is similar to how people transmit Covid-19 actually.
Signs & Symptoms
The illness usually begins with a high fever above 38 degrees. The fever sometimes follows by chills or other symptoms like headache, general feeling of discomfort, and body aches. Some people also experienced mild respiratory symptoms at the outset.
Treatment
There is no cure for SARS, but research to find a vaccine is ongoing. Treatment is mainly supportive which includes breathing assisting, antibiotics, antiviral medicines, and high doses of steroids to reduce lung swelling.
2. Ebola Virus
The first outbreak case of Ebola in humans struck simultaneously in 1976. The case occurred in the Republic of the Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo in the very same year. Ebola is actually a rare but deadly virus that causes fever, body aches, diarrhoea, and internal bleeding sometimes. There are five strains of the virus, and four of them can make people sick. That is why it is one of the most dangerous viruses in the world. It kill cells after entering the body, making some of them explode. It wrecks the immune system, causes heavy bleeding, and damages almost every organ.
Transmission
This rare but deadly virus spreads to people by contact with the skin or bodily fluids of an infected animal. The animals can be a monkey, chimp, or a fruit bat. Then it moves from person to person the same way. So those who care for a sick person or bury someone who has died from the disease often get it. Other ways that may spread Ebola are touching contaminated needles or surfaces.
Note: You can’t get Ebola from air, water, or food. A person who has Ebola but has no symptoms can’t spread the disease.
Signs & Symptoms
The symptoms show up between 2 to 21 days after the infection, and its early symptoms can feel like flu. The symptoms include headache, high fever, joint and muscle aches, sore throat, weakness, stomach pain, and lack of appetite. As the disease gets worse, it causes bleeding inside the body as well as from the eyes, ears, and nose. Some people will vomit or cough up blood, have bloody diarrhoea, and get rashes. Studies show that survivors of Ebola have antibodies that can be detected in blood up to 10 years after recovery.
Treatment
The treatment of Ebola virus includes experimental serum that destroys infected cells. Doctors manage the symptoms of Ebola with fluids and electrolytes, oxygen, blood pressure medication, and blood transfusions. Currently, there is no antiviral drug to treat the virus. There were two types of treatment: Regeneron and mAb114 that provides higher survival chance. The drugs that treat the virus works by stopping the virus from making copies of itself.
Prevention
Ebola is a very rare disease that only occurs in some specific countries following by person-to-person transmission. This virus is more common in parts of sub-Saharan Africa where occasional outbreaks occurring in people. When living in or traveling to a region where Ebola presents, there are ways to protect yourself by avoiding:
Contacts with blood or body fluids of persons who are ill
Items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood of body fluids.
Funeral or burials that require handling the body of someone who died from the virus.
Contacts with bats and non-human primates’ blood, fluids, or raw meat from these animals.
Contacts with raw meat of an unknown source.
1. Covid-19
The deadliest among the most dangerous viruses in 2020 is definitely Covid-19. The condition does not get any better, and the cases keep on going up especially in the United States. People are dying every day, countries begin their lockdown, many start working from home, and racism arises. Since its appearance, the virus has infected tens of thousands of people in China and other countries worldwide.
Transmission
The virus transmits from one person to another through respiratory droplets, direct contact, and direct contact with infected objects. Going out in the crowd is one of the key factors that increase the chance of virus transmission. The person with the virus without symptoms can also transmit the virus to others. That is why Covid-19 is the deadliest virus among other dangerous viruses we have gone through.
Signs & Symptoms
The symptoms appears between two to fourteen days after exposure which includes fever, cough, and shortness of breath. If you develop emergency warning signs for Covid-19, get medical attention immediately. Emergency warning signs include trouble breathing, persistent chest pain, bluish lips or face, and inability to arouse.
Treatment
There is no specific medicine to prevent or treat Covid-19, patients may need supportive care to help them breathe. If you have mild symptoms, stay at home until you recover. You can relieve symptoms by resting, sleeping, drinking plenty of fluids, take hot shower to ease sore throat and cough. If you develop high fever and have difficulty in breathing, promptly seek medical care. Contact your health provider of any recent travel or recent contact with travelers.
Prevention
Stay at home is the best way to prevent the spread of all dangerous viruses especially this one. You should avoid going to crowded places, parties, or events. You should also avoid traveling as well because most transmission cases are from the airport. Wash your hands regularly especially before eating and touching your face.