The Spread of Viral Diseases in Modern Society

Marburg Virus Disease

Marburg virus disease is a severe infection that usually causes a fatal illness in people. Scientific reports point to Marburg virus as the most notable cause of the disease. Rousettus aegyptiacus, commonly known as fruit bats, are believed to be the natural hosts of the virus (Swanepoel et al. 1847). The virus is transmitted to humans from bats and spreads among people through physical contact. A healthy individual who interacts with a patient suffering from the Marburg disease is likely to get infected. Severe hemorrhagic fever characterizes the Marburg Virus disease. The condition is so dangerous that nearly half of those infected rarely recover.

Human to Human Interaction

Human to human interaction is a feature of modern society that influences the spread of viral diseases of this nature. Enhanced mobility caused by the availability of advanced modes of transport implies that viral infections can spread faster and to distant places that are far removed from the area of origin of the disease (Balcan et al. 21484). The interconnectedness of the world presents a significant challenge regarding the spread of diseases. It has become much highly challenging to contain diseases with severe symptoms because of the ease of spread (Alirol et al. 132). Viral diseases now travel much faster than ever before, making it necessary for the relevant organizations and stakeholders.

Misinformation

The other feature of modern society that influences the spread of viral diseases is misinformation (Budak, Divyakant, and Amr 2). Most people do not understand how the disease is caused, how it is spread, or ways in which it can be treated and managed. As a result, many people end up doing things that put them at risk of contracting the disease.

Works Cited

Alirol, Emilie., Laurent, Getaz., Beat, Stoll., François, Chappuis, and Louis, Loutan. “Urbanisation and infectious diseases in a globalised world.” The Lancet Infectious Diseases 11.2 (2011): 131-141.

Balcan, Duygu, Vittoria Colizza, Bruno Gonçalves, Hao Hu, José J. Ramasco, and Alessandro Vespignani. ”Multiscale mobility networks and the spatial spreading of infectious diseases.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 106.51 (2009): 21484-21489.

Budak, Ceren,, Divyakant, Agrawal, and Amr, El Abbadi. ”Limiting the spread of misinformation in social networks.” Proceedings of the 20th international conference on World Wide Web. ACM, 2011.

Swanepoel, Robert., Sheilagh B. Smit., Pierre E. Rollin., Pierre, Formenty., Patricia A. Leman., Alan, Kemp., Felicity J. Burt. ”Studies of reservoir hosts for Marburg virus.” Emerging Infectious Diseases 13.12 (2007): 1847.