Diseases caused by viruses usually go away on their own as long as your immune system is strong. However, some viral illnesses sometimes need to be treated with antiviral drugs. Then, what is the list of diseases caused by viruses?
Viruses are very small organisms, even smaller than bacteria. These microorganisms need a living host, such as humans, animals, or plants to reproduce.
When a virus enters your body's cells, it takes over the cell's working system and turns it into a new virus-producing cell that can infect other body cells.
Diseases caused by viral infections vary. Some can be mild and can heal on their own, some are classified as serious and require doctor's treatment.
Symptoms of Diseases Caused by Virus Infections
In general, diseases caused by viruses can exhibit symptoms similar to those caused by bacteria. Some of the common symptoms of these two types of infection are:
- Cough and sneeze
- Fever
- Throw up
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Cramps
The nature of these two microbes can cause acute infections that last for a short time, chronic infections that last weeks to a lifetime, and latent infections that do not show symptoms at first, but can be active again after a certain period. There are various things that can cause why viruses can cause infections in humans. One of these causes is viral mutation.
List of Diseases Caused by Viruses
The following is a list of diseases caused by viruses:
1. Colds
The common cold is the most common disease that is characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, sore throat, stuffy nose, and coughing. This disease is more common in children under 6 years of age.
2. Flu
Usually the flu has more serious symptoms than cold symptoms. Fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, chills, nausea, and vomiting are some examples of flu symptoms. Flu generally spreads more easily during the rainy season because the humid climate can support the spread of the flu virus well.
3. Chickenpox
This disease is caused by a virus varicella-zoster and most often experienced by children under 15 years of age, but can also occur in adults. Rash and itching are the most common symptoms of chickenpox. These symptoms can appear on the face, chest, back, and spread throughout the body.
4. Dengue hemorrhagic fever
This disease is commonly found in warm and humid areas and is transmitted through mosquito bites Aedes aegypti. Outbreaks of dengue hemorrhagic fever usually occur in the rainy season. Symptoms include high fever, headache, rash, muscle and joint pain, and vomiting.
5. Chikungunya
The chikungunya virus is spread by mosquitoes which also spread dengue hemorrhagic fever and the Zika virus. This virus can also be spread through the blood. The most common symptoms that appear due to this virus are fever and joint pain. Other symptoms that may appear include headaches, muscle aches, joint swelling, and rashes.
6. viral hepatitis
Hepatitis B and C viruses attack the liver and are usually spread through body fluids, such as blood and sperm, of patients who have been infected with this virus. There are patients with viral hepatitis who do not show symptoms for years. The diagnosis is usually obtained after performing a blood test.
7. Rabies
The disease caused by the rabies virus can infect someone who is bitten by an animal. Symptoms that can occur include fever, headache, fatigue, confusion, hallucinations, fear of water, and paralysis.
8. Rubella
This disease is very dangerous for the fetus in the womb when experienced by pregnant women because it can cause miscarriage or congenital defects. Symptoms of rubella, also known as German measles, are generally low-grade fever and a rash that starts on the face and then spreads to the rest of the body.
9. Zika
The Zika virus is generally spread through mosquito bites, but it can also be spread through sexual contact or through the mother's bloodstream to the fetus in her womb. Symptoms that appear due to this virus are fever, rash, joint and muscle pain, itching all over the body, headache and conjunctivitis. Babies conceived by mothers with Zika virus infection can develop microcephaly.
10. HIV/AIDS
The HIV virus weakens the sufferer's immune system by destroying white blood cells whose job it is to fight infection. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection. The disease is spread through risky sexual intercourse and sharing needles with people who are infected with HIV.
11. COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath. These symptoms can appear 2–14 days after exposure to the virus.
In addition to the diseases above, there are many other diseases caused by other viruses, namely Ebola, skin warts or genital warts, polio, and rotavirus. Treatment for each of these diseases is also different.
Diseases caused by viruses do exist which the body's own immune system must fight against. However, some viruses can multiply so quickly that the immune system may lose out against them.
This makes some people with viral infections require medical assistance, such as antiviral drugs to help fight the virus, pain relievers to improve the patient's condition, or drugs to strengthen the immune system to be able to fight the virus.
Therefore, if you are likely to have contracted a viral infection from a person or an animal bite and are experiencing symptoms of a viral infection, immediately consult a doctor for proper examination, diagnosis, and treatment.