The worlds scariest virus of all viruses - Research Paper Example

? The World’s Scariest Virus of all Viruses. Written By: Scott Tolbert of Maryland College – Europe BIOL 101, Summer Instructor: Dr. Jose Azcue (PhD). This page intentionally left blank! Abstract Viruses are the smallest existing microorganisms which may be made up of either DNA or RNA as their means of storing genetic information. They only survive and replicate inside host cells like those of humans and even animals. This paper is aimed at examining the list of top viruses that have proven deadly in the world today and even in the recent years. It also explains in brief the predisposing factors that favor the survival of these viruses, their effects in human bodies and the general effect of them in the world. Some of the viruses discussed, in order of their deadliness, include the Human Immune-deficiency virus, Ebola virus and the Rotavirus. This listing method may vary from one state to another, depending on epidemiology and environmental conditions of the state. The impact of these viruses on the working economy of the world is also analyzed, given the increasing trend in occurrences of viral diseases. Introduction What would one say or think is the world’s number one killer of human beings today? Would they think its war, automobile accidents, or maybe even cancers? If one were to assume those answers, then that would be completely wrong. This paper the will try to prove that the deadliest things to mankind are viruses. In this paper, the author will list the top three killers of all times, specifically the number one deadly virus known to us as HIV. This paper will go into deep detail of the number one virus and its effects on the human being’s body. HIV Transmission 3.1 Million lives a year is the number of lives that are taken by the world’s deadliest virus to date, and counting. Human Immune-deficiency Virus is a retrovirus in the genus called Lentivirus, with a single stranded RNA morphology (Martin, 1978). There exist two strains of the virus namely HIV-1 and HIV-2. According to Ranker, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, (HIV), is responsible for the loss of lives of about 25 million people since 1981 (Ranker, 2013). HIV gets to the immune system and destroys the defensive body cells, including helper cells called CD4+ T cells, plus Macrophages and Dendritic cells. The virus is introduced into the human body through various ways, including sexual intercourse, blood transfusion and congenital transmission from mother to child (WHO, 2013). Once the virus has established itself, it survives and thrives killing the mentioned cells, damaging the infected person’s immunity and leaving them more at risk of acquiring infections. Once the virus has destroyed one’s immune system, the person is left vulnerable to secondary infections and other opportunistic diseases. The majority of people infected with HIV develop AIDS at later stages of the virus progression. Once a patient has AIDS, tumors, and a number of infections, which are controlled by the CD4+ T helper cells, begin to manifest. Predisposing Factors There are various predisposing factors for the virus to establish itself in the body and cause a disease. Those at risk of contracting the disease are drug users who use needles to inject themselves, those who have multiple sex partners, and practice unprotected sex. Infants who are born to mothers who are infected by the disease are also at risk of contracting the virus. Once infected, the virus can last for even ten years before the clinical signs appear. This makes it more dangerous as one can continue transmitting the virus to others unknowingly. The clinical presentation of the resultant disease varies, depending on the person’s nutritional status and their immunity, from one person to another. The clinical signs include fever, fatigue, diarrhea, muscle pains, rashes and sores in the body, and headaches among others. To show the presence of the virus in the body, antibodies against the virus, which are produced in case the virus invade the body, are detected by the use of HIV ELISA test or HIV Western blot test. Also, available are tests to determine the amount of virus in the blood. Those who have tested positive can always go for tests that will show their CD4 T helper cells, which relates to their immunity level. There are antiretroviral (ARVs) drugs that are given to the infected to fight the infection and also slow down the progression of the disease. Ebola virus In the terminal stages of the disease when the patients’ immunity has deteriorated, Tuberculosis, Pneumonia and herpes of various types set in and the disease eventually leads to death of infected people. In fact, it is true to report that what causes death in those infected with HIV/AIDS are the secondary infections like pneumonia, typhoid and other opportunistic diseases. HIV kills more humans than its evil sister virus Ebola, (listed as number two), which kills fewer than 100 Lives a year. Ebola virus belongs to the family of viruses known as Filovirus. Once the virus is introduced into the body, it takes about two to twenty one days for the initial clinical signs to appear. In some cases, infected persons do not show clinical signs and are termed as asymptomatic. Initial symptoms vary from person to person, and also depend on the strain of the virus. They include frequent headaches, sudden depression, and muscle spasms. As the disease progresses, intense clinical presentations appear to include continuous fever coupled with emetic conditions, excessive bleeding, especially from the eyes and mouth. This bleeding also occurs internally in these organs, hence the term Hemorrhagic fever. Ebola virus disease has a mortality rate of approximately 50%-90%, and this occurs after a few days of clinical presentation. The morbidity and mortality rate of Ebola virus disease depends on the virulence of the strain of the virus involved (Chakraborty T. and E.T Alcamo, 2008). Transmission of this virus takes place via secretions and body fluids. There is, however, no proof of the disease transmission by mere contact. A vaccine has not yet been found for this virus, a fact that is worsened by lack of cures for the disease. The disease is maintained through supportive therapy like providing electrolytes and lots of fluids. Treatment of concurrent infections is also necessary for longer life span of the infected. What makes this virus dangerous is the fact that it also affects non human primates like monkeys and chimpanzees. This makes it difficult to control especially in areas bordering forests. The virus can be detected through various tests like ELISA, polymerase chain reaction and virus isolation. However, earlier detection of the virus is difficult, a fact that is challenging the efforts of prevention and treatment of the disease. Rotavirus Rotavirus is another virus that has been listed as the third in the list of the “Scariest Viruses on Earth Today”. Rotavirus has been shown to claim about 61,000 lives of adults per year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2013), the harsh nature of this virus is evident as it has led to loss of more than half a million lives of children each year. It is a fact that when children attain the age of five, almost all of them would have contracted the viral infection once in this period. This virus is known to cause profuse diarrhea in children, and children infected are dehydrated have fever and constantly vomit. Antibodies against the virus are produced by the body each time one is infected; this ensures that person’s immune system is upgraded. Subsequent infections due to the same virus thus become milder. However, in areas faced with poverty and tough life conditions, the disease is deadlier because of poor access to adequate healthcare. The virus is transmitted via ingestion of stool that is contaminated, and the incubation period is about two days. The virus is highly resistant to harsh environmental conditions and thus, can persist outside the host for a longer time than other viruses. Because of this, its transmission modes also include intake of contaminated water and food. Touching virus contaminated surfaces and then putting one’s hands in their mouth is another mode of transmission, though rare. After gaining entry into the body, the rotavirus inhabits and infects the inner lining of the cells of the small intestine. They then replicate and multiply in the intestinal lining (Gray J. and U. Desselberger, 2000). It produces enterotoxins, which results in an infection called gastroenteritis, hence the diarrhea and vomiting. However, as opposed to the two earlier viruses, rotavirus has a vaccine, and this is helpful in containing the disease. Also, important is giving the infected child a lot of fluids to rehydrate them, and providing minerals to replace lost electrolytes. In severe cases, intravenous fluid therapy is necessary to save children’s lives. Conclusion The economic effects of viruses cannot be over emphasized. These effects are much greater in developing countries than the developed ones, owing to poverty and lack of proper health provision. The economy of the world suffers a great deal from this issue, due to losses of lives and labor. In addition, more funds are allocated to deal with this menace in terms of medical supplies for treatment and vaccine supplies for prevention purposes, which would otherwise be used in the development of most countries. The top three viruses as explained above include the HIV, Ebola virus and the Rotavirus (Ranker, 2013). However, there are several other viruses that have continued to havoc in the world. Examples of these include Hepatitis A and B viruses, herpes virus, West Nile virus, Influenza virus and small pox virus. References Chakraborty T and Alcamo T.E. (2008) Dengue Fever and other Hemorrhagic Viruses. InfoBase Publishers Gray J. and Desselberger U. (2000) Rotaviruses: Methods and Protocols. Springer Publishers Ranker (2013, June 12.) The 13 Scariest Viruses on Earth Today. Retrieved from www.ranker.com S. J Martin. (2013, June 12). The Biochemistry of Viruses. Mexico: Cambridge University Press. World Health Organization (2013): HIV. Retrieved from http://www.who.int Read More