Most people fear being sick since some diseases can cause death if not treated in good time. Moreover, there are others which don’t have any remedy and once one catches them death is almost always certain.
Maladies are as old as humanity itself, even our grandparents used to suffer from terminal plaques and only those with the strongest immune systems managed to survive.
These are the top 10 fatal diseases that should make the hair at the back of your neck stand in fear, apart from the current COVID situation we are currently living in.
Number 10. Anthrax
Anthrax is a terminal condition that exists both in animals and human beings, it is spread by spores filled by the bacteria Bacillus Anthracis which can easily be inhaled when a herbivorous animal is grazing. Humans who consume meat from such cows can easily contract the disease as well.
Infected microorganisms can also be transmitted from one place to another via shoes and clothing, no wonder WHO has categorized Anthrax amongst the most deadly diseases in the world.
Number 9. Swine Flu
Also known as the H1N1 Influenza, swine flu is a dangerous disease that can cause massive deaths. As the name suggests, pigs are the natural carriers and those who come into regular contact with them stand a high risk of being infected.
Transmission from pigs to humans typically occurs when one eats contaminated pork, some of the most common symptoms include sore throat, headache, chills, fatigue and relentless coughing.
Death typically occurs due to respiratory failure, other probable causes include pneumonia, high fever, dehydration, kidney malfunction and electrolyte imbalance. Statistics show that fatalities occur mostly in young children and elderly persons.
Number 8. Smallpox
Smallpox is a fatal scourge that’s responsible for millions of death during the antiquity times, scientists believe that it originated from N.E Africa around Egypt and from there spread into Asia via merchant ships.
Symptoms typically start a few days after infection, the patient would experience a sore rash which soon becomes pus-filled with blisters which steadily multiply causing painful body disfigurations, blindness or even loss of life. The vaccine for this disease was only recently discovered in 1967 by WHO.
Number 7. Yellow Fever
It’s a “flavivirus” that’s transmitted to human beings via infected mosquitoes, this disease usually triggers other equally devastating illnesses such as hemorrhagic fever and hepatitis.
Yellow Fever has been plaguing mankind for almost 400 years, it borrows its name from the tawny jaundice symptoms commonly exhibited in victims.
Nowadays, most infections occur in Africa and South America and most of those who are infected end up perishing. The World Health Organization estimates that around 200,000 cases are reported each year, with just over 30,000 of them passing away due to the infection.
Number 6. Malaria
Malaria is caused by a parasitic microorganism known as plasmodium.
Patients typically begin to show symptoms 10-15 days after being bitten by a vector-carrying female anopheles mosquito, initial signs include vomiting, fatigue, fever and terminal headaches. In more severe cases one would experience yellowing of the skin, seizures, unconsciousness and even death.
Once bitten by an insect, the parasites would enter into one’s circulatory system and then the liver where they mature and reproduce.
Number 5. Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis popularly known as T.B is caused by a bacterium known as Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, it often attacks the lungs leaving them sore and inflated. However, cases have been reported where the microorganism also affects other parts of the body specifically the spine, brain and kidneys.
Without sufficient treatment T.B can be lethal, that’s why it has been rated as the No.1 cause of death in America. According to statistics from WHO, at least one person around the world is infected by this malady every second.
With such a high rate of contagion, it’s now easy to understand why 1/ 3 of the entire world’s population is believed to be carrying this disease. Nonetheless, WHO states that not all of those who have T.B show symptoms immediately.
The bacterium can lie dormant for several years and only show up when one’s immune system is totally weak, that’s why it’s extremely dangerous to those who are infected with HIV/AIDS.
Number 4. Cholera
It’s an acute, diarrheal disorder caused by contagion of the large intestines by a bacterium known as Vibrio Cholerae. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, leg cramps and severe vomiting. In most victims, the rapid loss of essential body fluids often leads to shock and dehydration.
Lack of treatment can cause death within an hour’s time. Cholera is prevalent in India and Sub-Saharan Africa due to poor sanitation and sewer systems, those who like traveling to these regions for vacation should be aware of the risks involved.
Giving people more access to clean drinking water is the only way to fight this scourge.
Number 3. Bubonic Plaque
This ailment is ranked under the zoonotic group of diseases that are transmitted by small rodents and fleas, upon infection the patient can die within 4 days if treatment is not sought out.
Patients would first experience sore lesions around the armpit and groin regions, it typically enters the body through exposed skin and travels via the lymphatic system.
Bubonic plaque is believed to have swept throughout Europe in the 14th century AD killing approximately 25 million individuals, a number believed to be 40% of the entire European population at that time. Bubonic plaque infections usually peaked during autumn, this is when infected rat flea carriers came out to breed in large numbers.
This malady is extremely communicable given that the bacterium can be spread through droplets when the infected individual coughs or sneezes.
Number 2. HIV/AIDS
The term HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, it works by weakening the infected person’s immune system thus making the body susceptible to infections.
During initial infection the patient may experience influenza-like symptoms that may last for a week or two, this may then be followed by prolonged periods of no reactions at all.
As the condition steadily progresses, it destroys the body’s ability to fend off opportunistic tumors and infections causing death in the long run.
Number 1. Ebola
Ebola is without a doubt the most devastating disease known to man, once infected the probability of passing away is 90%.
The virus is spread through direct contact with blood or body fluids of a sick animal or person, fruit bats on the other hand are known to carry the disease in their bodies and spread it without being infected themselves.
Symptoms generally start within the first 1-3wks and include fever, muscle pain, headache and sore throat which are soon followed by severe hemorrhage. There’s no known cure for Ebola.