What would count as the worst killer in the world is disease. Over hundreds and thousands of years, diseases have shown a track record of occurring anywhere and anytime, bringing not only sudden death at times, but a period of pain for those who suffer from them. Here are some of the worst diseases today:
• AIDS
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or AIDS is caused by Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV. It was first discovered in 1981 and has claimed over 25 million lives since then. It opens the human system up to deadly infections by heavily disarming the body’s immune system. Today, there are over 38.6 million people living with AIDS and HIV, with no cure still in sight.
• Malaria
Malaria is an infectious disease that comes from a mosquito bite. It causes it victims to have extremely high fever and migraines, which could eventually lead to coma and death. A disease that is usually rampant in tropical areas, anti-malaria drugs are often used as a counterattack. It causes an annual average of 2.7 million deaths, a high percentage of which are children.
• Ebola Virus
First discovered in 1976, the first symptoms of the Ebola virus include vomiting, fever, diarrhea and malaise. In some cases, external and internal bleeding are also observed. It has claimed over 160,000 deaths since the year 2000 alone, and no cure or treatment has been found just yet.
• Cholera
Cholera is an infection in the digestive system caused by the bacteria called Vibrio Cholerae. Although it is possible to cure the disease, time is often the biggest enemy in trying to contain the disease. In its strongest form, a victim could die of dehydration a mere 2 to 3 hours after exhibiting the symptoms. Every year, over 100,000 people die of this disease. Countries that have minimum hygiene standards are often the ones most affected.
• Heart Disease
Heart disease is another fatal disease that affects 1 out of 5 people in the world today, killing 1 out of 3 of this ratio. Often brought about by an unhealthy lifestyle, the people affected by the disease are getting younger and younger in recent years. Heart attacks are usually caused by the lack of oxygen and blood brought to the heart. This is a direct effect of any blockages in the arteries, usually caused by high amounts of cholesterol from the kind of food that you eat.