Deadly Diseases the World has Ever Known

From ancient times to now, here are the top deadly diseases

EBOLA:

This disease first appeared in 1976, alongside the river Ebola from where this disease gets its name. This virus is transmitted from person to person via direct contact with bodily fluids. Symptoms include muscle pain, weakness, and high fever. It has a fatality rate of 90 percent.

SMALLPOX

Smallpox is fatal in as many as 30 percent of cases. The death toll was estimated at almost 500 million until it was declared eradicated in 1977.

YELLOW FEVER

Transmitted to humans via the bites of infected mosquitoes, these days Yellow Fever occurs most often in South America and Africa.

TUBERCULOSIS

Apart from typically attacking the lungs, the TB bacterium also affects the brain, spine and kidneys. According to WHO, someone somewhere is infected with TB every second.

MEASLES

A highly contagious respiratory disease, many are successfully vaccinated against measles, but it still rages in parts of Africa, Asia and the eastern Mediterranean, causing an astonishing 22 deaths each hour.

LUNG CANCER

The most common cancer-related killer worldwide, lung cancer is responsible for 1.38 million deaths each year. According to WHO, smoking is the most important risk factor in 70 percent of deaths.

CHOLERA

This disease is most prevalent in areas with no clean water. Cholera causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea and eventually death.

MALARIA

A mosquito-borne disease, malaria causes severe flu-like symptoms. It can be fatal, with 90 percent of the million deaths each year occurring in children in Sub-Saharan Africa.

SPANISH FLU

One of the world’s most devastating epidemics, ‘Spanish Flu’ is estimated to have killed between 30 and 50 million people in 1918/1919.