The world’s most deadly viruses may be beautiful to look at, but they will definitely kill you.
In the face of deadly viruses the only weapon humanity has is proper hand washing and disinfectant, but preventive measures may not be enough for the 10 deadliest viruses. A virus is a small infectious agent that replicates inside the living cells of other organisms. Viruses can infect all types of life forms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea. Science has not yet determined whether viruses constitute life because they lack key characteristics of life, such as cell structure. They have often been described as 'organisms at the edge of life.' What is known about viruses is that they cause serious illnesses and can destroy lives if not dealt with properly. The following viruses are not listed in any particular order but don't be fooled, they are all equally deadly. Also they are not just the only most dangerous, there are many more viruses that have brought humanity to its knees causing panic and terror in the hearts of many.
The Ebola virus is one of five known viruses within the genus Ebolavirus. Four of the five known ebola viruses cause severe, and often fatal, hemorrhagic fever in humans and other mammals. The 2013–2014 Ebola virus epidemicin West Africa has resulted in at least 13,567 suspected cases and 4,922 confirmed deaths. The 2014 Ebola epidemic is the largest in history, affecting multiple countries in West Africa. Thomas Eric Duncan was the first person to succumb to the Ebola virus within the United States. CDC and partners are taking precautions to prevent the further spread of Ebola within the United States.
Recovery from Ebola is dependent on proper supportive care and the patient’s immune system. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years. It is not known if people who recover are immune for life or if they can become infected with a different strain of Ebola. Some people who have recovered from Ebola have developed long-term complications, such as joint and vision problems.
On the forefront of the fight against Ebola is the international non-governmental organization, Doctor's Without Borders. The NGO is the only aid organization treating people affected by the virus. Some of its staff have died from Ebola. Since the beginning of the Ebola outbreak, the organization has treated 470 patients in specialized centers. Doctors Without Borders has 300 international and national staff working in West Africa. It has sent more than 40 tons of equipment and supplies to the region to help fight the epidemic. However, it cannot deal with the size of the epidemic.
West Nile Virus
West Nile Virus (WNV) is a mosquito-borne virus found in temperate and tropical regions of the world. It was first identified in Uganda but has spread across the globe. Prior to the mid-1990s WNV was considered sporadic and a minor threat to humans, until an outbreak in Algeria in 1994. Since then, WNV has spread globally, with the first case in New York City in 1999. In 2012, WNV killed 286 people in the United States primarily in Texas, making it the deadliest year on record for the United States.
Symptoms of WNV typically include fever, headaches, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting and rash. In less than one percent of cases the infected suffer a neurological disease when the virus reaches the central nervous system, leading to inflammation of the brain.
Currently, there is no vaccine against WNV infection available. The only way to fight the virus is for municipalities to create effective mosquito control programs, while businesses and citizens work to reduce breeding populations of mosquitoes. Eliminating stagnant pools of water found in old tires, buckets and unused swimming pools prevents mosquitoes from reproducing. Numerous books have been written to teach people effective methods of combating the deadly disease.
