6 of the Deadliest Viruses in the World

Viruses just seem to always pop up and cause havoc somewhere in the world.  We continue to fight these diabolical microbes constantly, and some of the viruses we encounter are so terrifying and deadly its astounding to realize that these guys exist in the world around us!  So here's a list of some  of the deadliest viruses in the world for you to read about, learn about, and stock up on hand soap and hand-sanitizer after reading this to try and not get sick from these.

6. Influenza

Surprisingly, a majority of people encounter this virus every year.  It causes the flu across the world, and as many as 500,000 people die every year.  The constant problem with this virus is how much it mutates.  Multiple strains can appear at any time, the most recent strain that rocked the news world was the swine flu in 2009.  Approximately 90 million people were infected across the world when the swine flu hit.  Even worse, the most horrible influenza virus pandemic was in 1918, which was known as the Spanish flu.  About 40 percent of the population on Earth in 1918 was infected, and wiped out about 50 million people in just two years.  Although vaccines for the influenza virus exists, the mutations and strains are difficult to stop.  Modern day vaccines only cover about 40 percent of known strains, while the other 60 percent are free to roam.  If a strain exists today like the Spanish flu strain, then we could be in for a very serious and very bad flu season.

5. Smallpox

For thousands of year, humans across Earth were ravaged by the virus known as smallpox.  The mortality rate claimed 1 out of 3 people that were infected, even killing 300 million people in the 19th century.  For those that survived the infection, the virus left them with permanent scars and even blindness.  We can't even blame animals for this disease; smallpox can only be carried and transferred by humans.  Just be thankful that this virus has a vaccine and was successfully eradicated in 1980.

4. Rabies

Did you know that without a vaccine, this virus has almost a 100 percent mortality rate?  This virus destroyed anyone it touched, driving them mad and killing them.  Even back in the ancient world, anyone bitten by a dog with rabies was killed by the virus after a couple of days, causing many to panic and fear the disease.  Luckily, the disease can be treated with a series of vaccines if the person infected is treated right away.  If not, the virus attacks the central nervous system and kills the host.  It can even cause hallucinations, violent behavior, and delirium among those infected.  Can you imagine how deadly this disease would be if it were airborne?  The zombie apocalypse would be right around the corner if that were the case.

3. HIV

If anyone had ever wanted to design a virus of the most extreme conditions, this would be the virus.  Past through bodily fluids and sex (which we do a lot), the virus attacks the host's immune system, and weakens the host by reducing the white blood cells and making the person more susceptible to any other disease.  Even modern day antiviral drugs can't stop this virus, we can only prolong the ticking clock that counts down to the infected's demise.  Ever since it's discovery in 1980, 36 million people have been claimed by HIV.  Let's just hope that a vaccine is discovered soon so we can finally halt the endless tirade of HIV.

2. Marburg

In 1967, this virus was discovered in Germany.  Unfortunately, some of the group was killed from the virus, after testing African green monkeys from Uganda.  Much like number 1 on this list, the virus causes hemorrhagic fever, shock, organ failure, and death.  The first outbreak only had a mortality rate of 25 percent, but the outbreak in the 1998-2000 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo had a higher mortality rate of 80 percent.  There is no vaccine made for this virus, and Uganda still reports some cases as of 2012.  Even crazier, was that an American tourist contracted the virus while exploring a cave in Uganda, and came back to Colorado and developed the symptoms.  He was treated, but the virus may now exist on American soil.

1. Ebola

Discovered in 1976, the Ebola virus is still new to the scene in terms of how long a virus has plagued humanity.  But there may not be one that is as scary.  With the most recent outbreak in 2014, the virus has a 90 percent mortality rate.  No vaccine against it exists, although some possible vaccines may be in the works.  Causing organ failure and death in almost all of its victims, Ebola brought widespread panic across Africa and even the world.  The country of Liberia even declared a state of emergency while the virus ravaged its people, closing off its borders to try and stop the onslaught of Ebola.  The scariest aspect of Ebola may not even be in its mortality rate.  Ebola has multiple strains, not just one strain.  So like the Influenza virus, we have no idea if another strain may mutate and cause even more havoc across the world anytime soon.  And although it may originate from fruit bats and some monkeys, the virus spreads quickly from human to human through bodily fluids.  So just how deadly could another Ebola strain be if one were to show up in the next couple of years before we even develop a vaccine against the strain in 2014?