Viral infections aren’t always contagious as what most people think. Some of them won’t spread from one person to another. But many of them do. Some of the most common examples of contagious viral infections are common colds, flu herpes, and HIV. Here are the most common human diseases caused by viruses:
Respiratory viral diseases
These are contagious and usually affect the lower or upper parts of the respiratory tract. More often, the symptoms of respiratory viral diseases are the following:
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Sneezing or coughing
- Body aches
- Fever
The most common examples of respiratory diseases are common colds, flu, adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus infection, parainfluenza virus infection, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
Respiratory viruses can be transmitted from one person to another through sneezing or coughing. It can also spread through contaminated objects such as tabletops, doorknobs, and personal items. You can develop a disease if you touch any of the contaminated objects and then your eyes, mouth, or nose.
Viral gastroenteritis
This affects the human body’s digestive tract. The virus causing this disease is contagious and often leads to stomach flu or popularly known as gastroenteritis. Usually, the symptoms of this disease are diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting.
The most common examples of the gastrointestinal viral disease are rotavirus infection, norovirus infection, astrovirus infection, and some adenovirus infection.
Usually, the gastrointestinal virus can spread through the stool during bowel movements. The water or food that has been contaminated by the feces will spread the virus to others. The infection can also be acquired from sharing personal objects and utensils with someone infected by the virus.
Cutaneous viral disease
This causes papules or lesions to form on the skin of the infected person. In most cases, these lesions will stay for quite some time, and some come back after disappearing for a long time. The most common examples of this disease are the molluscum contagiosum, genital herpes, oral herpes, and warts, including genital warts.
In these cases, you can rely on speedy herpes diagnosis online if you think that you have this virus. They will immediately help and assist you in assessing herpes or the virus. Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) is the most common virus that causes cold sores. It is usually transmitted through the sharing of food and drink or from the saliva by kissing with an infected person.
Exanthematous viral disease
This causes skin rashes. Lots of them also cause other additional symptoms. Most of the viruses in this category are highly contagious. Some of the most common diseases caused by this virus are measles, rubella, shingles or chicken pox, roseola, smallpox, fifth disease, and chikungunya viral infection.
Most exanthematous viruses can spread by respiratory droplets from the sneeze and cough of someone infected. Other diseases caused by this virus, like smallpox and chicken pox, can be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact with fluid in broken skin lesions. The chikungunya virus, on the other hand, cannot be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact with an infected individual. But it spreads through mosquito bites.
Respiratory viral diseases and viral gastroenteritis usually heal on their own. But there will always be over-the-counter medications that will help reduce the symptoms.
