The Deadliest
Viruses on Earth
Humans have been battling viruses since before our
species had even evolved into its modern form. For
some viral disease, vaccines and antiviral drugs have
allowed us to keep infections from spreading
widely, and have helped sick people recover. For
one disease "smallpox" we've been able to eradicate
it, ridding the world of new cases.
But we're a long way from winning the fight against
viruses. In recent decades, several viruses have
jumped from animals to humans and triggered
sizeable outbreaks, claiming thousands of lives. The
viral strain that drove the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak
in West Africa kills up to 90% of the people it
infects, making it the most lethal member of the
Ebola family.
There are other viruses out there that
are equally deadly, and some that are
even deadlier. Some viruses,
including the "novel coronavirus"
currently driving outbreaks around
the globe, have lover fatality rates,
but still pose a serious threat to
public health as we don't yet have the
means to combat them.
There are few worst killers which are mentioned
below, based on the likelihood that a person will die
if they are infected with one of them, the sheer
numbers of people they have killed, and whether
they represent a growing threat.