Share this infographic on your site!They aren't living, or non-living: They're the perfect parasites
Viruses are everywhereOver 5,000 have been described in detailMillions and Millions Exist
When they're in the air, or on a doorknobThey're inert = about as living as a rock.
When they come into contact with host cellsThey trigger the cell to engulf themOr fuse with the cell
Then use the cell's machinery to reproduce
What is a virus?
Just a tiny bundle of RNA or DNA and a shell.That uses host cells to reproduce itself.
And manifest some of the scariest illnesses on the planet.
HIV: the mass killerYearly Mortality: 3.1 millionTotal Mortality: 25 million+ since 1981How it works:Invades important immune system cells and kills them.Leaves patient open to death by other illnesses with lowered immune function.
Ebola: the rapid killer with no cureYearly mortality: Mortality rate: 90% within days[3]
How it works:[3]Disables tetherin, a protein that disables the spread of the virus from cell to cell. Spreads rapidly to cause hemorrhaging, extreme fever, and death.
Rotavirus: the child-killerYearly Mortality:>500,000 childrenHow it works:Spread through fecal-oral exposure, often through play surfaces or contaminated water. Diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain can be deadly, particularly in the developing world.[4]
Smallpox: the monarch killerMortality rate: Eradicated20th century mortality rate: 300-500 million80% of infected children died20-60% of infected adults.How it works:Localizes in the blood vessels of the skin and in the mouth and throat. One of two infectious diseases to be eradicated by humans. Ravaged populations from 10,000 b.c.- 1979. Killing 5 reigning monarchs in the 1700's.
Hepatitis B: killing your liver How it works:The virus enters the bloodstream and heads for the liver. Once in the liver many other viruses activate and spread.[6]
Influenza: the pandemic that's still aroundYearly Mortality: 500,000 deathsPandemics occur around 3 times a century.How it works:Attaches itself to receptors on cells in the lungs and air passages. As it takes over their machinery, the cells die. Dead cells cause runny nose, sore throat, and other symptoms.
Hepatitis CYearly Mortality: 56,000 deaths200-300 million people infected.How it works:"Hepatitis" means inflammation of the liver, and it is in the liver where the Hepatitis virus replicates itself.70% of patients develop chronic liver disease.[7]15% cirrhosis5% die from liver cancer or cirrhosis
MeaslesYearly Mortality: 197,000 deathsOver last 150 years: 200 million deathsHow it works:One of the most contagious viruses. Causes rash, high fever, and for weakened immune systems can be deadly.
Hantavirus: Because rats are dirtyyearly mortality: 70,0000 deathsHow it works:Spread through rodent bites, droppings, or aerosolized rodent fecal matter. Can cause hemorrhaging and death.
Yellow Fever:The reemerging killerYearly Mortality: 30,000 deathsHow it works:An acute hemorrhagic disease sometimes causing jaundice and living damage.
Dengue Fever: the break-bone feveryearly mortality: 25,000 deathsHow it works:[8]Spread by mosquitoes. Leads to severe pain in muscles, joints, and behind eyes. Occurs primarily in urban tropical areas.
Rabiesyearly mortality: 55,000 deathsHow it works:[9]Enters the body and proceeds to the brain, replacing nerve cells in the process. By proceeding through the salivary glands it increases salivation, causing foaming at the mouth. This helps the virus spread through saliva. The most common form is the encephalitic or "furious" form of rabies in which agitation and aggression is heightened.
Viruses are aren't truly even alive, but without proper care they can take your life.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090127152838.htm
http://www.ranker.com/list/the-top-13-most-incredible-viruses-on-earth/analise.dubner
http://www.medicinenet.com/hepatitis_c/page2.htm#what_is_the_nature_biology_of_the_hepatitis_c_virus
http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/biology/research/infect/dengue.html
http://science.howstuffworks.com/zoology/all-about-animals/rabies1.htm
