Oct 17, 2024 | Plagues & Pathogens
Thanks to modern childhood vaccination programs, diphtheria is now a rare illness in Western Europe and the United States. It is still common, however, in developing countries where vaccination rates are low. It is a terrifying illness caused by the airborne bacterium...
May 31, 2018 | Plagues & Pathogens
Typhoid fever is a particularly nasty infection caused by the bacteria Salmonella typhi. The infection causes malaise, abdominal pain, a rash, diarrhoea or constipation, and in severe cases can result in intestinal bleeding and death. Although there are still millions...
Apr 17, 2018 | Plagues & Pathogens
George Washington is, without doubt, one of the world’s most famous historical figures. He served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American War of Independence, presided over the 1787 convention that drafted the United States Constitution,...
Feb 28, 2018 | Plagues & Pathogens
In 1517 the Spanish conquistadors, led by Hernán Cortés, arrived in Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire. The ruler of the Aztecs, Motecuhzoma II, made the Spanish welcome and things were friendly between the Spanish and the Aztecs initially. Two years later...
Jan 23, 2018 | Plagues & Pathogens
In August 1854, Soho in London was struck with a severe cholera outbreak. Cholera is a gastrointestinal infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. It is still prevalent in areas with inadequate sanitation and poor food and water hygiene and remains a major...
Nov 13, 2017 | Plagues & Pathogens
Germ warfare is defined as “the use of biological toxins or infectious agents with the intent to kill or incapacitate as an act of war.” These biological agents are quite literally used as deadly living weapons. Germ warfare is by no means a modern concept, and...
