Before modern medicine existed, many infectious diseases spread quickly and unapologetically, wiping out significant numbers of people in relatively short periods of time.
Despite advances in medical and scientific research, some aggressive diseases and infections can still be deadly within a day if left untreated. Browse through some of them in this gallery.
Also known as the Black Death, the plague is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. In the mid-1300s, it wiped out approximately half of Europe's population.
Those infected with cholera often suffer from intense diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration that can lead to death.
Symptoms include a rash, fever, headache, bleeding from nose and gums, and bone pain.
Outbreaks have occurred in many African countries, including Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia.
An infection of the deep layers of the skin and subcutaneous tissues, it is also known as the flesh-eating disease. The most common cause of the disease is A Streptococcus, nicknamed the flesh-eating bacteria, which enters the body through openings in the skin.
It can be fatal in cases where it leads to extreme difficulty breathing and severe respiratory illness.
See also: Weird things that happen to your body when you die
Diseases and infections that can kill you within 24 hours
If you notice symptoms, get help immediately!
HEALTH Medical
Before modern medicine existed, many infectious diseases spread quickly and unapologetically, wiping out significant numbers of people in relatively short periods of time.
Despite advances in medical and scientific research, some aggressive diseases and infections can still be deadly within a day if left untreated. Browse through some of them in this gallery.