The 8 Most Contagious Diseases

HIV

HIV affects 38 million people worldwide in 2019. HIV is spread through blood or sex.

Hepatitis B

Sexual contact is a major way to spread hepatitis B. You can also obtain the sickness from infected saliva, breast milk, urine, tears, or blood. 

Syphilis

Syphilis is spread through personal contact. Some have contracted it from infected needles and syringes. Also found is transmission between moms and unborn babies.

Mononucleosis

Mononucleosis, caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), is termed the kissing illness because of its transmission.

The HPV 

Most sexually active persons contract HPV. A person might be infected with various HPV kinds or the same virus many times.

Measles

Sneezing or coughing from an infected person spreads measles, a highly contagious virus. This disease's virus stays in the air, boosting infection.

Cholera

Worldwide, 1.3–4 million cholera cases occur annually. Without treatment, the condition can kill in hours. Annual deaths range from 21,000 to 143,000.

Hepatitis C

Drug use, tattooing, and piercing often spread hepatitis C using unsterilized needles. Transfusions and organ transplants from infected donors were additional transmission methods before tougher safeguards were implemented in the early 1990s.