Deadliest Viruses in the World

Viral infections we discovered in late nineteenth century and since they were known for some of the deadliest diseases in the world. The worst thing about some of the deadliest viruses in the world is that most of them don't have any effective vaccine or medicine to treat them. Treatment for some of the infections is done just by treating the symptoms.

Here we have listed some of the deadliest viruses in the world.

• Smallpox: This deadly disease scared humans for thousands of years. 90% of native american population was killed by this disease. In 20th century alone more that 300 million people died due to smallpox. Worst thing about this disease was that it kills one-third of the infected people and leaves the rest with either blindness or lifelong scars on the body. In 1980 World Health Assembly declared the world free from smallpox.
• Rabies: Vaccine against rabies was developed in 1920 and given to pets so that this infection can't be spread to humans. However its treatment is possible, but if you don't get it on time then there are 100% chances of death of a person. Rabies is a deadly virus which destroys the brain. India and Africa are the worst affected regions by this deadly virus.
• Marbug Virus: This infection was discovered in 1967 when some lab workers in Germany were infected through some infected monkeys imported from Uganda. High fevers and bleeding throughout the body caused organ failure killed 25% of infected people in that outbreak. Its outbreak in 1998-2000 and 2005 at Conga and Angola respectively was responsible for 80% mortality.
• Ebola: Its first outbreak was discovered in 1976 in Congo. Its 2014 outbreak in West Africa was the deadliest. Its mortality rate ranges from 50 to 71% for different strains of the bacteria.
• HIV: Human Immune Virus (HIV) is responsible for one of deadliest diseases that humans have faced without any effective treatment. HIV causes AIDS which destroys our immune system and the infected person easily gets several other diseases and finally dies after a long struggle. More than 36 million people have died due to HIV since 1980, when it was first discovered.
• Hantavirus: Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) gained the attention of scientific community in 1993 when a young couple in US collapsed to it within few days after complaining about shortness of breath. Later it was found that same outbreak happened during Korean war where 3000 troops were infected and 12% died due to it. Researches found that people get infected by this virus from exposure to the droppings of infected mice. It has killed 36% of the 600 infected people in US so far.
• Influenza: Normally we know this disease by the name Flu. According to WHO the normal mortality due to flu in a season in around 500,000 . Worst ever spread of a flu strain was Spanish flu which began in 1918 and infected 40 percent of world's population and killed around 50 million people. According to scientific community if a new and developed strain of influenza emerges than it could be worst than 1918 spread.
• H5N1 Bird Flu: This virus is a subtype of the influenza A virus and it has recently feared a number of people around the world. Recent Asian Strain of H5N1 was reported to have a mortality rate of 60%.
• Dengu: This virus has easy access to around 40% of worlds population as mosquitoes are its carrier and its newer strains are often reported. This virus was first reported in 1950 in Philippines and Thailand. 50 to 100 million people are infected every year by this virus. Its mortality rate is 2.5% and mostly kids and old age people are worst affected by it due to weaker immune system. In some cases dengu can cause ebola-like disease known as "dengue hemorrhagic fever" where mortality rate is above 20% .
• Rotavirus: This virus affects kids upto age of 5 years and it killed around 453,000 children in year 2008 around the world. It causes severe diarrheal illness and it spreads through fecal-oral route. Its vaccine is available in market and has sharply declined the cases of rotavirus infection.
• CCHF: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne virus and first discovered in 1944 in Crimea. Its infection causes initial symptoms like fever and headache and later leads to nosebleeds and uncontrolled bleeding. Mortality in CCHF infection remains between nine to fifty percent.
• West Nile Virus (WNV):  This virus in mosquito borne and prior to 1990 it was not considered as a threat. Its outbreak in Algeria in 1994 and in New York City in 1999 changed that perception as it caused neurological disease among the infected people causing inflammation of the brain. During year 2012 WNV killed 286 people in US. There is no vaccine for this deadly virus till date.

Instead of getting feared by these viruses, it is better to remain prepared. If you are visiting any of the countries known for these viruses then it is better to get vacinated if possible and having cleanliness around you. Better hygiene means better health.