1. The Most Lethal: Rabies Virus
If "dangerous" means the least chance of survival once you get sick, Rabies is the undisputed winner.
Mortality Rate: ~100% (if untreated).
The Threat: Once symptoms—such as fever, fear of water (hydrophobia), and confusion—appear, death is almost certain. Only a handful of people in history have survived symptomatic rabies.
Prevention: It is entirely preventable through a vaccine if administered immediately after a bite from an infected animal (usually dogs or bats).
2. The Most Explosive: Marburg & Ebola (Filoviruses)
These viruses cause viral hemorrhagic fever, essentially causing the body to leak blood internally and fail at an organ level.
Mortality Rate: 24% to 90% (average ~50%).
The Threat: They are highly contagious through direct contact with bodily fluids. The Marburg virus is often cited as the most dangerous due to its high lethality and the lack of a widely available vaccine compared to Ebola (which now has the Ervebo vaccine).
Symptoms: High fever, severe headache, and massive internal/external hemorrhaging.
3. The Most Contagious: Measles
If "dangerous" means how hard it is to stop, Measles is the most infectious virus known to man.
Transmissibility ($R_0$): 12–18. This means one infected person can spread it to up to 18 others in an unvaccinated population.
The Threat: It is airborne and can live in a room for two hours after an infected person has left. While we have a vaccine, "vaccine fatigue" in 2026 has led to resurgences in several countries.
4. The Long-Term Killer: HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)
While it doesn't kill quickly, its total death toll and its ability to hide in the body make it one of the most dangerous viruses in history.
Total Death Toll: ~45 million (as of 2026).
The Threat: It destroys the immune system (AIDS), making the body vulnerable to minor infections. While modern ART (Antiretroviral Therapy) allows people to live long lives, it remains a global pandemic with no cure.
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