While Ebola has garnered significant attention due to its high mortality rate and devastating impact, there are numerous other deadly viruses that tend to go unnoticed. These lesser-known viruses can be equally if not more dangerous than Ebola.

In this article, we will explore ten such viruses that pose a severe threat to human health.

1. Marburg Virus

Marburg virus, similar to Ebola, belongs to the family Filoviridae and causes a severe and often fatal hemorrhagic fever in humans.

Named after the city in Germany where it was first identified, the virus is transmitted to humans through contact with an infected animal or person. Marburg virus shares many similarities with Ebola, such as symptoms of fever, headache, muscle aches, and bleeding. With a fatality rate of up to 88%, it is one of the deadliest viruses known to humankind.

2. Nipah Virus

The Nipah virus is an emerging zoonotic virus that is transmitted to humans from animals, particularly fruit bats.

It causes severe respiratory illness and encephalitis, inflammation of the brain, with symptoms ranging from fever and headache to coma and death. The mortality rate associated with Nipah virus infection varies widely, ranging from 40% to 100%, depending on the outbreak.

3. Lassa Fever Virus

Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness caused by the Lassa virus. It is primarily transmitted through contact with infected rodents, particularly the Mastomys rats, which are common in West Africa.

Lassa fever can lead to severe bleeding, organ failure, and even death. Although the overall mortality rate is approximately 1%, it can reach up to 15% in hospitalized patients.

4. Hantavirus

Hantaviruses are a group of viruses transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents, primarily through inhalation of aerosolized urine, droppings, or saliva.

Hantavirus infection can lead to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), characterized by severe respiratory distress and a mortality rate of around 36%. Another form of hantavirus infection called hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) causes kidney damage and has a mortality rate of up to 15%.

5. Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne viral disease that is primarily transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals or ticks.

It causes severe viral hemorrhagic fever, with symptoms including fever, muscle aches, dizziness, and bleeding. CCHF has a mortality rate ranging from 10% to 40%, with higher rates reported during outbreaks.

6. Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV)

The Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV) is a rodent-borne viral infection that is mainly transmitted through contact with infected rodents, particularly house mice.

LCMV can be contracted through rodent bites, inhalation of contaminated dust, or through direct contact with urine, droppings, or saliva. While most cases of LCMV result in mild or no symptoms, it can cause severe neurological symptoms and complications in certain individuals, including meningitis and encephalitis.

7. Hendra Virus

Hendra virus is an emerging zoonotic virus that typically infects horses and can be transmitted to humans through close contact with infected horses.

The virus can cause severe respiratory illness and encephalitis, with a mortality rate of around 60% in humans. Since its discovery in 1994, multiple outbreaks of Hendra virus have occurred in Australia.

8. Nipah Virus

The Nipah virus is an emerging zoonotic virus that is transmitted to humans from animals, particularly fruit bats.

9. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) is a viral respiratory disease caused by the MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The virus was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and has since been reported in more than 27 countries.

MERS-CoV can cause severe respiratory illness, with symptoms including fever, cough, and shortness of breath. The mortality rate associated with MERS is around 35%.

10. Rabies Virus

Rabies is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system and is transmitted to humans through the bite or scratch of an infected animal, most commonly dogs. Once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal.

It is estimated that rabies causes tens of thousands of deaths worldwide each year, primarily in Asia and Africa.