Each year, we hope that it will be a good year. Sometimes, our hopes are dashed. The disasters that have made known contains high mortality rates. Plagues are scary because they spread fast and kill fast too. Until the medicine or antibodies are developed, more people die each day.
Bubonic Plague aka Black Death
It was horrible. It began in the 1330s.
In the early 1330s an outbreak of deadly bubonic plague occurred in China. The bubonic plague mainly affects rodents, but fleas can transmit the disease to people. Once people are infected, they infect others very rapidly. Plague causes fever and a painful swelling of the lymph glands called buboes, which is how it gets its name. The disease also causes spots on the skin that are red at first and then turn black.
The disease soon spread to Europe and western Asia due to China’s business dealings with the rest of the world. It finally ended its destruction in 1771.
Small Pox
Smallpox (also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera) is a contagious disease unique to humans. Smallpox is caused by either of two virus variants named Variola major and Variola minor. The deadlier form, V. major, has a mortality rate of 30–35%, while V. minor causes a milder form of disease called alastrim and kills ~1% of its victims. Long-term side-effects for survivors include the characteristic skin scars. Occasional side effects include blindness due to corneal ulcerations and infertility in male survivors.
Spanish Flu
The 1918 flu pandemic (commonly referred to as the Spanish flu) was an influenza pandemic that was first found in the United States, appeared in Sierra Leone and France, and then spread to nearly every part of the world. It was caused by an unusually severe and deadly Influenza A virus strain of subtype H1N1.
Malaria
Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells.
Recorded fevers started in 2700BC, China. Scientific Studies began in 1880.
Bird Flu
Avian influenza is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses. These influenza viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. However, avian influenza is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them.
This started the culling session that made animal lovers steam. Cats were targeted to be the ones carrying the deadly disease. This is an ongoing disease. The origins are seemed to have started from China.
Mad Cow Disease
Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as Mad-Cow Disease (MCD), is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease in cattle, that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord and red eyes. BSE has a long incubation period, about 4 years, usually affecting adult cattle at a peak age onset of four to five years, all breeds being equally susceptible. In the United Kingdom, the country worst affected, more than 179,000 cattle have been infected and 4.4 million slaughtered during the eradication programme.
Beef imports were affected. So did the blood donations as anyone who has ever visited Europe will not be required to donate blood. This law is applicable to Singapore. The disease was suspected to have come about because reared bovines were fed the remains of slaughtered sick chickens, cattle and sheep in their daily feeds. The change in their diets made them unable to adapt. Cattle are natural herbivores.
It is scary to see that the world is being plagued by diseases just after you thought one was eradicated, another problem arises. A killer disease will be found in 2011 when cancer treatment succeeds. If Mr Juseleeno is accurate in his predictions. A death that will occur in just 4 hours. Swift and devastating indeed.
Is the world coming to an end?
Image via Wikipedia
The best part of this is that it’s free. RK gave to me. I’m hoping to keep it long term. So, any soul want to have the honours of naming this lil critter?
