Deaths from four types of killer viruses lurking in animals will soar 12-fold due to climate change, scientists claim

FILOVIRUSES

Filoviruses are a family that includes Ebola and Marburg.

Ebola, named after a river in the Democratic Republic of Congo — where the viral haemorrhagic fever was discovered, kills up to half of everyone who gets infected. 

The virus is mainly transmitted through exposure to bodily fluids, with the main symptoms being fever, vomiting, bleeding and diarrhoea.

It naturally resides in fruit bats, monkeys and porcupines living in the rainforest, and can also be transmitted through eating uncooked ‘bushmeat’.

Ebola’s cousin, Marburg, has a death rate of up to 90 per cent, making it one of the deadliest pathogens known to man. 

It spreads in a similar fashion and can trigger the same symptoms. 

SARS CORONAVIRUS 1   

SARS is the cousin of Covid, causing similar flu-like symptoms.

It infected 8,000 people and killed nearly 800 in an outbreak in Asia in 2003.

SARS is, however, deadlier than Covid.

Data suggests it kills around one in 10 people, compared to fewer than one in 100 from Covid.

The airborne virus can spread through small droplets of saliva, in a similar way to colds and influenza.

NIPAH VIRUS

Nipah is a type of henipavirus, which are naturally held in fruit bats.

The virus is usually spread to humans through direct contact with infected animals, usually pigs and bats.

But human-to-human transmission can occur.

Outbreaks occur almost annually in parts of Asia, primarily Bangladesh and India, the US CDC says.

Symptoms, such as a fever, headache and drowsiness, may appear between five and 14 days after becoming infected, and can last up to two weeks.

Eventually, patients can progress into a coma or suffer breathing problems.

The virus is thought to be fatal in up to 75 per cent of cases.

No vaccine or cure exists, but patients may receive supportive treatment to relieve symptoms.

MACHUPO VIRUS

Machupo virus causes a disease called Bolivian haemorrhagic fever.

The virus is carried by rats found in eastern Bolivia, northern Paraguay and western parts of Brazil. 

It can also be carried by ticks and mosquitos, data suggests. 

Symptoms are similar to Ebola. Death can occur within hours, experts say.