Meet 3 viruses that could cause terrible pandemics in 2014
While you are busy counting grape seeds to put in your wallet, the medical and scientific community around the world is concerned about the possible pandemics that could hit humanity in 2014, especially those with the highest death rates, such as those You will see below:
H5N1
It is another line of the influenza virus, the cause of the flu. The H5N1 subtype is still known as “avian influenza” but can also be transmitted to humans. The great danger is because birds are very common animals in all populations of the planet and therefore spreading the virus is not at all difficult. Places such as poultry farms and aviaries in general can be dangerous.
The disease has high mortality rates - 60% of people who get bird flu cannot resist. Another problem: the virus, like the common flu and many others, is mutable and can incorporate genetic characteristics of other viruses, becoming stronger and more harmful.
Today, the virus is not a person-to-person virus, but these constant mutations could soon ease this kind of contagion - if that happens, a possible pandemic could infect millions quickly. There is a vaccine against the virus, but it may no longer work because of the mutations mentioned above. For now, cases of infection in humans are still rare, but they already exist.
H7N9
Another influenza virus and also the avian type, with the difference that its effects appear to be less harmful than those of H5N1. In 2013, the first case of human contamination was recorded, and animal studies already suggest that person-to-person transmission may be possible, unlike H5N1.
Henipavirus
The major transmitter in this case is the bat, which spreads the virus through saliva and urine. The most common mode of human contagion is when pigs eat contaminated fruit. In 1999, in Malaysia, 1 million pigs were killed to prevent contagion.
The virus often attacks the human brain and lung, causing inflammation and breathing problems. The disease does not always manifest, but has a very high mortality rate, reaching a frightening 90%. The movie whose trailer you will see below was inspired by this virus:
