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[[File:4929A33500000578-0-image-a-2 1518517722492.jpg|thumbnail|left|250px|Figure 1. A tablet indicating an attempt to heal sickness and likely viral infection using herbs and medicines.]]__NOTOC__
Viruses, in some sense, have been known to human societies for thousands of years, mainly that some forms of illnesses can be contagious. Even relatively early evidence from nearly 4000 years ago suggests people understood that it was necessary to quarantine infected individuals. While that has been the case, our specific understanding of viruses and the knowledge of their existence is far more recent.