Deadly Viruses for Which There is No Cure

In today’s technology, one would think we would be able to conquer every virus that has come our way. That, however, is not the case. Some viruses are swift and some culminate over years. Rapid mutations increase the possibility of a pandemic. Most of today’s deadly diseases are caused by biological agents originating among wild animals but have mutated and jumped species barriers.

A virus consists of submicroscopic parasites that can invade anything, plant, animal or human. Viruses are unable to replicate without a host cell. They are usually shaped as rods, harpoons, spheres of filaments. Every one of us is a possible target. Once you are infected your body becomes a mass-producing copier of the parasites. Not all viruses strike their host immediately. Some take years.

HIV

HIV, better known as AIDS, is a world wide pandemic. It began in 1985. More than 25 million people have died from this disease. It cannot be destroyed. Often, there is a period of infection without symptoms. When they do occur, they are rapid weight loss, fever, cough, fatigue, swollen lymph glands, diarrhea, blemishes in the mouth or on the tongue, pneumonia, skin lesions, and as one would expect, depression.

AIDS stands for acquired immune deficiency syndrome because of its’ damage to the immune system. It is transmitted through direct contact of a mucous membrane or the bloodstream containing the virus, such as blood, semen and vaginal fluid. It is commonly known to be transmitted through sex. Most researchers believe HIV originated in Africa during the twentieth century, but was not recognized by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention until 1981. It is now widely believed that one third of all new infections are caused by the sharing of needles containing drugs and with the needle, microscopic infection from blood. Of course, we all remember when the outbreak was rampant in the 1980’s and everyone was blaming HIV on homosexuality. Homosexuality did play it’s share in the spread of the virus, but not as much as was initially believed. Nevertheless, HIV remains a killer that has no known cure and continues to threaten millions of lives.

Ebola

Ebola is a virus that prevents the blood from clotting. It is a rather physically disturbing disease, in the fact that the victim’s body hemorrhages, causing bleeding from the mouth, nose, eyes and internal organs. Ten percent of infected people survive, however, infections are rare. The first outbreak occurred in the Congo in 1976; an estimated 800 people died. Scientists are working on a vaccine, but nothing of advanced development has occurred. Ebola is extremely infectious. The potential for a pandemic outbreak is considered very low.

There are three species of the fruit bat which carry the virus, but they do not show the symptoms. Unfortunately, Ebola has the potential to be used as a weapon of biological warfare. Therefore, scientists are scurrying to find a vaccine for Ebola.

Marburg

The Marburg virus is related to Ebola. It also originated in Uganda and the Congo. It has also been discovered in fruit bats. Symptoms arrive in different stages beginning with fever, chills and headache. Second stage symptoms are skin rash, diarrhea, chest pain and delirium which lead to hemorrhaging, multiple organ dysfunction and finally death.

Marburg is a biological safety level four agent, requiring the highest level of precaution. Diagnosis of the disease is difficult because it contains symptoms of other diseases such as malaria and typhoid. It is spread through bodily fluids such as blood, excrement, saliva and vomit. It is imperative that a cure be found, which could also lead to a vaccine for Ebola, or vice versa.

SARS

SARS stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome. It is a very severe type of pneumonia first caused by a virus isolated in early 2003. The virus originated in Chinese horseshoe bats. It is spread by person to person contact, especially infected droplets from coughs and sneezes. Symptoms are high fever, coughing and severe respiratory distress and can be fatal.

There was one pandemic in 2003 with over 8,000 infected cases and 774 deaths. We all remember the SARS scare with people wearing masks to help prevent the spread of the disease. It is especially contagious to the elderly; those of 65 years or older.

SARS may be suspected in a patient who has a high fever, contact with someone who carries the virus or those who travel to the regions where known transmission of the disease has been identified such as China or Hong Kong.

Avian Flu

Avian flu H5N1 is a strain of bird flu that is found in domestic and wild birds as well as cats and pigs. It first appeared in Hong Kong and China in 1997. Human to human cases are rare, although the strain has the ability to mutate. Once someone is infected, the virus can spread by contact between cells, meaning that once it is caught, it spreads rapidly through the body. Death can occur between four to nine days after the infection.

Many researchers believe that the virus is smoldering in the United States and it is only a matter of time until it mutates into a lethal variant for humans. It is believed that a pandemic of avian flu could kill up to 150 million people. We currently have no vaccine to cure this disease and the government seems to be dragging its’ feet to find and develop a large enough supply of vaccine before the time comes when the strain is mutated. Scientists have been warning us for years that an outbreak is inevitable, but no one seems to take up the challenge of finding a cure.

Hundreds of deadly diseases are increasing as the world population rapidly expands. These diseases are a global threat. Rapid mutations highly increase the possibility of a pandemic of any of these diseases. How many are out there? How safe are we?