10 Viruses That Took Most Human Lives Ever
Transcript
00:00 Viruses are microscopic organisms that can infect humans, animals, bacteria, and even fungi,
00:07 and exist almost everywhere on Earth.
00:09 They are considered the most abundant biological entity on this planet.
00:13 Humans are fighting these viruses from ancient times.
00:16 Some viruses were very dangerous like rabies, corona, ebola, which destroyed entire societies.
00:23 Coronavirus has caused a lot of deaths in China recently,
00:27 and is spreading faster than Australian bushfire.
00:30 Such viral disease have killed many people and animals in the past,
00:34 but with the advancement of medical science,
00:37 we are now able to control diseases caused by these contagious viruses to some extent.
00:42 Here are some of the deadliest viruses which took most human lives in history of humanity.
00:47 10. Marburg Virus
00:50 This deadly virus was first identified by scientists in 1967 when outbreaks occurred
00:56 among lab workers. People infected with Marburg virus develop high fevers and
01:00 bleeding in the entire body that results in organ failure, shock, and death.
01:05 According to the World Health Organization, the mortality rate in the first outbreak was 25%,
01:10 but in 1998-2000, it was increased to 80%.
01:14 These fatal viruses are transmitted by direct contact with infected body fluids
01:20 from humans and animals, such as vomitus, urine, blood, saliva, respiratory droplets,
01:26 and contact with virus-contaminated needles and syringes.
01:29 A total of 252 cases were reported, among them, 227 people died.
01:35 9. Coronavirus
01:39 The coronavirus is an alarming virus that shocked entire China.
01:43 Due to its deadliest effect and fast-spreading ability,
01:46 the World Health Organization was informed by China about this problem
01:50 and they determined that it was coronavirus.
01:52 China is the most affected country, but it has also affected nearly two dozen other countries,
01:58 including the United States. It spreads by close contact and when an infected person coughs or
02:03 sneezes. Nearly 25,000 people are infected from this vulnerable virus and 500 dead in China
02:10 only until now. Among them, just 400 people have recovered from the illness.
02:16 8. Ebola virus
02:18 The first case of the Ebola virus was reported in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo
02:23 and Sudan. It was a rare virus, but caused many deaths. A total of 28,616 cases were reported in
02:31 Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone, and among them, 11,310 people died. This lethal virus spread
02:39 through contact with body fluids, such as urine, blood and tissue from infected animals and humans,
02:44 and broken skin or mucous membranes. It can also spread through infected animals,
02:49 such as bats, monkeys, gorillas, chimpanzees, and antelopes. According to the World Health
02:55 Organization, the mortality rate is up to 50%, which later increased to 71%.
03:00 7. Dengue
03:03 The dengue virus first appeared in Thailand in the Philippines in the 1950s, but later on spread
03:09 throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the globe. This virus spreads through mosquitoes,
03:14 bats, and other insects. According to the World Health Organization, dengue sickens 50 to 100
03:21 million people a year. About 500 to 528 million people are infected by dengue, among them,
03:28 approximately 10,000 to 20,000 people die. Symptoms of this disease include severe fever,
03:34 headache, vomiting, and body ache. This condition has a mortality rate of about 20% if left untreated.
03:43 6. Neurotropic Bullet-Shaped Deadly Virus
03:46 It causes rabies in animals and humans. It can spread through the saliva of animals
03:50 and contact with human saliva. This virus can stay in the host cell for a long period.
03:56 More than 95% of human deaths occur from rabies in Asia and Africa. It affects the central nervous
04:02 system that damages the brain and may cause death. Tingling at the site of exposure and
04:07 fever are the early symptoms of rabies. Later symptoms are weakness, paralysis, seizure,
04:13 muscle spasm, and agitation. Except for Antarctica, it is found on all continents.
04:18 This insecure virus kills about 59,000 people each year. By the time the symptoms appear,
04:24 it is too late to save the victim. The U.S. saw 23 human cases from 2008 to 2017.
04:30 5. Influenza Virus
04:34 Influenza is a contagious viral infection and is also known as the flu. It is an RNA virus and
04:40 attacks the respiratory system of the victim. The influenza virus can be classified into three main
04:45 groups, A, B, and C. The current outbreak of influenza is about 60% according to the World
04:52 Health Organization. The most serious among them is the influenza A virus. The most common symptoms
04:58 of this threatening virus include runny nose, fever, muscle and joint pain, sore throat, headache,
05:04 coughing, and fatigue. Influenza spreads around the world that results in 9 million to 45 million
05:11 illnesses, 140,000 to 810,000 hospitalizations, and about 12,000 to 61,000 deaths annually.
05:19 4. Rotavirus
05:23 Rotavirus is a lethal virus that causes diarrhea. It is the most common cause of
05:28 diarrhea in children less than five years. About 1,205 children die from this virus each day.
05:34 Among them, 82% are in poor countries. The serious complication of a retrovirus is dehydration. At
05:41 least 95% of children experience rotavirus infection. This alarming virus affects people
05:47 mostly in middle countries. Its symptoms include fever, vomiting, abdominal pain,
05:52 followed by watery diarrhea. Rotavirus causes approximately 111 million victims,
05:58 25 million visit clinics, 2 million hospitalizations, and about 352,000 to 592,000
06:06 deaths per year. There is a sharp decline in the mortality rate in the countries in
06:10 which vaccinations are introduced. 3. HIV virus
06:16 HIV stands for human immune deficiency viruses and is a species of lentivirus that affect humans.
06:23 HIV is declared as the deadliest virus in the modern world. It is also considered as the
06:28 biggest killer. It was first recognized in the 1980s, and since then, about 36 million people
06:34 have died from this virus. It is common in low- and middle-income countries, where 95%
06:39 of new HIV infections occur. According to the World Health Organization, about 95% of new HIV
06:45 infections occur in these countries. About 1 in every 20 adults are HIV-positive in sub-Saharan
06:51 Africa. 2.
06:54 Virus has its origin in 1918-1919 and is considered fatal for humans. Its other name is the
07:03 Spanish flu. According to an epidemic report, about 284,500 people died from this virus,
07:10 while the actual number may be higher. It was declared as the first-ever public emergency of
07:15 international concern for the Henni virus by the World Health Organization. According to the
07:21 report of Science Daily, about one-third of the world's population, 500 million people,
07:25 were infected. Among them, 50 million people died, which can also increase up to 100 million.
07:31 This vulnerable virus causes swine flu. This virus was also able to infect and replicate in pigs.
07:37 1. Smallpox
07:43 The first known case of smallpox occurred in the 3rd century in Egyptian mummies.
07:48 It is a deadly and extremely contagious virus. About 400,000 people died per year from this
07:53 virus in 18th-century Europe. Early signs include high fever and fatigue. It then later produces a
07:59 characteristic rash, particularly on the face, legs, and arms. There is no specific cure for this,
08:05 but vaccination can be used to prevent infection from developing. It was officially eradicated in
08:10 1977. The majority of the cases recover from smallpox, but the death of the victim occurs
08:16 in 30% cases. This insecure virus was responsible for 300 to 500 million deaths during the 20th
08:23 century.
08:24 [Music]