Medically important airborne viruses

ABSTRACT

Airborne viruses are dispersed and suspended in the air when an infected individual coughs or sneezes. These viruses spread easily, and inhalation by unsuspecting susceptible individuals may result in new infections, which are highly dependent on the host's immunity, inoculation dose, and duration of exposure. They do not exclusively infect humans as animals are also susceptible and control of these infections remains a huge public health concern. There has been an astronomic increase in the number and types of airborne viruses either as an emerging or a reemerging agent with the ability to mutate. Thus, the airborne viruses—measles, rhinovirus, hantavirus, influenza, mumps, varicella–zoster virus viral meningitis, and the coronaviruses—discussed herein comprise some of the medically important common airborne viral diseases. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.