Bacteria come in many varieties, both useful and deadly. Scientists believe that by 2050, the death rate from bacteria may exceed the number of victims of cancer. Let’s talk about the ten most dangerous of them.
Clostridium botulinum. This bacterium causes botulism, a serious illness that affects the human nervous system. Botulism patients die, as a rule, from paralysis of the respiratory muscles and subsequent hypoxia. It is believed that a teaspoon of botulinum is enough to wipe out the US population. And 4 kg is enough to exterminate all the inhabitants of the planet.
Escherichia coli – a type of rod-shaped bacteria, harmless strains of which are often found in humans and animals. But there are about 100 pathogenic serotypes responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide every year. To minimize the risks of developing an intestinal infection, it is worth adhering to several rules: avoid contact with dirty water, be careful about frying meat dishes, wash vegetables and fruits thoroughly.
Salmonella typhi. This type of salmonella provokes typhoid fever, the symptoms of which are high fever, severe abdominal pain, migraines and a general state of weakness. However, some people are asymptomatic carriers of the disease. The famous Typhoid Mary infected 53 people during her life, many of whom died. The woman herself died of pneumonia at the age of 69.
Vibrio cholerae cause a deadly and excruciating cholera. This acutely contagious gastrointestinal disease is easiest to “catch” through contaminated water. The disease manifests symptoms of chronic diarrhea, leads to dehydration, vomiting, muscle cramps. A significant loss of water and salts in the body turns out to be fatal: if a person is infected with cholera, and there is no treatment, then the probability of death is 50%.
Clostridium tetani, or tetanus bacillus. This bacterium lives in an airless environment, and forms protective spores in other conditions. In deep wounds, the bacillus develops very actively, which is why this is how tetanus infection occurs. As a result, tetanus toxin attacks the human nervous system, causing long and excruciating seizures. In this case, the person experiences fear and severe pain throughout the body. Difficulty opening the mouth leads to starvation and dehydration. Mortality from tetanus, even with treatment, ranges from 40 to 70%.
Aspergillus fumigatus is a type of mold that is a pathogen for the human body. We inhale aspergillus spores every day, but aspergillosis usually develops in people with weakened immune systems. At risk are patients who: suffer from asthma and immunodeficiency, have undergone a course of chemotherapy or organ transplantation. Aspergillus affects the internal organs, causing fever, shock, respiratory failure, cough with hemoptysis.
Staphylococcus is a large bacterial genus that includes a large number of species. Staphylococcus aureus, or Staphylococcus aureus, is one of the most pathogenic of them. Staphylococcus aureus can cause pneumonia, meningitis, infectious toxic shock, sepsis and other very unpleasant diseases. At first, doctors used penicillin to fight this bacterium. But over time, mutations have led most strains to become resistant, and antibiotics have practically lost their effectiveness. Staphylococcus aureus is a problem in developed countries and is actively thriving in medical institutions.
Treponema pallidum, or pale treponema, is a bacterium that causes syphilis. Once this disease was very difficult to diagnose: it was called “the great imitator.” Syphilis is fairly easy to treat these days in stages 1 and 2, but stage 3 is still deadly. During this period, irreversible changes occur throughout the body: blindness, deafness, paralysis, mental disorders and hallucinations develop. Syphilis in an “interesting” way changes the human psyche: fits of rage give way to moments of euphoria, and depression can sharply turn into creative inspiration. Some researchers believe that Hitler, Van Gogh and Oscar Wilde suffered from tertiary syphilis.
Streptococcus. It is another bacterium responsible for numerous cases of pneumonia, meningitis, abscess, and other diseases. When infected, the patient can die within 10 hours, and the mortality rate in general is about 30%. Among the initial symptoms of shock syndrome are fever and pain in the body, then swelling of the extremities occurs, followed by tissue necrosis.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, or Koch’s bacillus, is a bacterium that causes tuberculosis. Mortality is extremely high even today: this disease is one of the ten leading causes of human death. About a quarter of the world’s population has latent tuberculosis. This means that the disease can manifest itself at any time, if the immune system only needs to “give up slack.” In Russia, tuberculosis takes away about 20,000
