Top 10 Viral Infections!
Scientists still debate if they are alive or not, but look what they can inflict in us:
1. Flue is caused by a virus transmitted through air. The incubation lasts 1-2 days. The symptoms include fever, cough, loss of appetite, headaches. Ordinary flue can be treated by resting and liquid warm food. The problem that preoccupies the mankind is the possible cross between the virus of ordinary flue and avian flue, which is more deadly, but transmits with higher difficulty. Spanish flu hit the world in 1918-1919 and killed over 30 million persons, soon after the First World War.
2. Measles too is caused by a virus transmitted through air. The incubation lasts 10-14 days, and the virus causes fever, tearing, nose running, throat ache, white dots in the mouth, reddening of the face and trunk. The treatment includes resting, warm liquid, no water, and antibiotics against secondary bacterial infections. Vaccination or experiencing this disease in the childhood ensures immunity for life.
3. Chicken pox (varicella) virus is transmitted via air. The incubation lasts 10-20 days and the disease manifests through fever and the emergence of red dots, accompanied by itching and swelling. The treatment consists in resting, proper diet, and avoiding scratching. Experiencing the disease during the childhood ensures immunity for life.
4. The virus causing poliomyelitis is ingested from infested feces. The disease has an incubation period of 1-3 weeks. It causes fever, throat ache and, in severe cases, partial paralysis caused by the killing of nerve cells. The patients must rest in bed and be isolated. The oral vaccine ensures complete immunity.
5. Yellow fever is transmitted through the bite of the Aedes mosquito. The incubation lasts 3-10 days. The virus causes fever, weakening of the liver, jaundice, and kidney failure. The patient must rest in bed; there is no specific treatment. The vaccine ensures a 10-year immunity.
6. Rabies is transmitted through the bite of an infected animal (usually a dog). The incubation period varies, and the viral infection causes muscular spasms, fits, delirium, breathing difficulties and the refuse of drinking liquids. Immediate vaccination is required in case of biting.
7. Americas escaped the Black Death because of the isolation. But when discovered, the smallpox struck. In 1518, an outbreak of smallpox in the Haiti island left just 1,000 of the Native Indians alive. 100 years after the discovery of America by Columbus, 90 % of its native population died of smallpox. Mexico passed from 30 million to 3 million inhabitants, Peru from 8 million to 1 million.
8. Pneumonia affects 1 % of the planet’s population and can be produced by viruses or bacteria. It produces fever, shiver, sweating, cough with expectoration, muscle, head and thoracic pain, appetite loss, weakness.
9. AIDS is estimated to be found in 46-60 million people and it’s produced by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), spread through blood, semen, and vaginal fluids. Some say the virus is still in an early stage.
10. The human papilloma virus (HPV) is more connected to genital warts. It can be transmitted through vaginal, anal and oral sex, but many strains, besides warts, cause uterine, tongue, mouth, anal, penile, vaginal, and throat cancers. In fact, it has turned into the main cause of uterine cancer in most countries.
You may be interested in the following related articles as well.
Posted by Denz
on Apr 11 2008. Filed under medical ideas.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
Both comments and pings are currently closed.
