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Meningococcal meningitis - The bacteria is often transferred through saliva and mucus and is fatal in about 50% of cases, according to Healthline. Symptoms include flu-like symptoms, a stiff neck, and confusion.
© iStock
1 / 29 Fotos
Meningococcal meningitis - Meningitis targets the meninges (tissue covering the spinal cord and brain) and causes swelling that can lead to severe brain damage.
© iStock
2 / 29 Fotos
Meningococcal meningitis - Infants and young children are extremely susceptible to the disease.
© iStock
3 / 29 Fotos
Sepsis - This condition refers to an infection that has spread through the bloodstream and into other areas of the body.
© Shutterstock
4 / 29 Fotos
Sepsis - More specifically, sepsis develops when the immune system releases chemicals to combat the infection that end up causing inflammation throughout the body. Severe sepsis causes rapid organ failure and death.
© iStock
5 / 29 Fotos
Sepsis - It frequently occurs in hospitals where patients are recovering from a procedure and are susceptible to infections.
© iStock
6 / 29 Fotos
Stroke - During a stroke, blood supply to the brain is either interrupted or reduced, resulting in a lack of oxygen, brain swelling, and cell death.
© iStock
7 / 29 Fotos
Stroke - Symptoms can include numbness or paralysis on one side of the body, garbled speech, dizziness, and confusion.
© iStock
8 / 29 Fotos
Stroke - Mild strokes aren't likely to be fatal but can leave victims permanently disabled.
© iStock
9 / 29 Fotos
Bubonic plague
- 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.
© Getty Images
10 / 29 Fotos
Bubonic plague - The disease infects small animals, such as rats, and is then transmitted to humans through fleas or other bugs. Symptoms include fever, chills, vomiting, and body aches.
© iStock
11 / 29 Fotos
Bubonic plague - The disease also causes lymph-node swelling (known as buboes) and gangrene, which eventually leads to septic shock and death.
© iStock
12 / 29 Fotos
Cholera - This intestinal disease has the potential to kill within hours if not treated.
© iStock
13 / 29 Fotos
Cholera - It is transmitted through contaminated water or food.
© iStock
14 / 29 Fotos
Cholera
- Those infected with cholera often suffer from intense diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration that can lead to death.
© Shutterstock
15 / 29 Fotos
Dengue Fever - This deadly disease is transmitted through mosquitos in tropical regions of the world.
© iStock
16 / 29 Fotos
Dengue Fever
- Symptoms include a rash, fever, headache, bleeding from nose and gums, and bone pain.
© Shutterstock
17 / 29 Fotos
Dengue Fever - The disease can turn fatal quickly in cases where a person develops hemorrhagic fever, organ damage, severe bleeding, and/or dehydration.
© iStock
18 / 29 Fotos
Ebola - Ebola hemorrhagic fever causes extreme bleeding in internal organs and body orifices. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, fever, fatigue, and a sharp headache.
© iStock
19 / 29 Fotos
Ebola
- Outbreaks have occurred in many African countries, including Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia.
© Shutterstock
20 / 29 Fotos
Ebola - Health 24 reports that the fatality rate for Ebola can range from 50-90% and those infected can die within hours after symptoms first appear.
© iStock
21 / 29 Fotos
MRSA - The bacteria, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), causes infections in various areas of the body. It is fatal when the infections lead to sepsis or septic shock.
© iStock
22 / 29 Fotos
MRSA - Depending on where the disease is contracted, it can cause skin infections, including boils and sores, in addition to more serious infections involving the bloodstream and lungs.
© iStock
23 / 29 Fotos
MRSA - MRSA is spread through direct contact with the infection and can be passed between animals and humans. It is often contracted in facilities where people have weakened immune systems, such as a hospital or nursing home.
© Shutterstock
24 / 29 Fotos
Necrotizing fasciitis
- 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.
© Shutterstock
25 / 29 Fotos
Necrotizing fasciitis - If not treated immediately, it acts quickly and aggressively, causing death within a short period of time. Treatment may range from antibiotics to surgery or even amputation of affected limbs.
© Shutterstock
26 / 29 Fotos
Enterovirus D68 - This virus can spread through saliva, coughing, and sneezing and results in a mild respiratory illness. Symptoms include fever, muscle soreness, cough, and runny nose.
© Shutterstock
27 / 29 Fotos
Enterovirus D68
- 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
© iStock
28 / 29 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 29 Fotos
Meningococcal meningitis - The bacteria is often transferred through saliva and mucus and is fatal in about 50% of cases, according to Healthline. Symptoms include flu-like symptoms, a stiff neck, and confusion.
© iStock
1 / 29 Fotos
Meningococcal meningitis - Meningitis targets the meninges (tissue covering the spinal cord and brain) and causes swelling that can lead to severe brain damage.
© iStock
2 / 29 Fotos
Meningococcal meningitis - Infants and young children are extremely susceptible to the disease.
© iStock
3 / 29 Fotos
Sepsis - This condition refers to an infection that has spread through the bloodstream and into other areas of the body.
© Shutterstock
4 / 29 Fotos
Sepsis - More specifically, sepsis develops when the immune system releases chemicals to combat the infection that end up causing inflammation throughout the body. Severe sepsis causes rapid organ failure and death.
© iStock
5 / 29 Fotos
Sepsis - It frequently occurs in hospitals where patients are recovering from a procedure and are susceptible to infections.
© iStock
6 / 29 Fotos
Stroke - During a stroke, blood supply to the brain is either interrupted or reduced, resulting in a lack of oxygen, brain swelling, and cell death.
© iStock
7 / 29 Fotos
Stroke - Symptoms can include numbness or paralysis on one side of the body, garbled speech, dizziness, and confusion.
© iStock
8 / 29 Fotos
Stroke - Mild strokes aren't likely to be fatal but can leave victims permanently disabled.
© iStock
9 / 29 Fotos
Bubonic plague
- 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.
© Getty Images
10 / 29 Fotos
Bubonic plague - The disease infects small animals, such as rats, and is then transmitted to humans through fleas or other bugs. Symptoms include fever, chills, vomiting, and body aches.
© iStock
11 / 29 Fotos
Bubonic plague - The disease also causes lymph-node swelling (known as buboes) and gangrene, which eventually leads to septic shock and death.
© iStock
12 / 29 Fotos
Cholera - This intestinal disease has the potential to kill within hours if not treated.
© iStock
13 / 29 Fotos
Cholera - It is transmitted through contaminated water or food.
© iStock
14 / 29 Fotos
Cholera
- Those infected with cholera often suffer from intense diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration that can lead to death.
© Shutterstock
15 / 29 Fotos
Dengue Fever - This deadly disease is transmitted through mosquitos in tropical regions of the world.
© iStock
16 / 29 Fotos
Dengue Fever
- Symptoms include a rash, fever, headache, bleeding from nose and gums, and bone pain.
© Shutterstock
17 / 29 Fotos
Dengue Fever - The disease can turn fatal quickly in cases where a person develops hemorrhagic fever, organ damage, severe bleeding, and/or dehydration.
© iStock
18 / 29 Fotos
Ebola - Ebola hemorrhagic fever causes extreme bleeding in internal organs and body orifices. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, fever, fatigue, and a sharp headache.
© iStock
19 / 29 Fotos
Ebola
- Outbreaks have occurred in many African countries, including Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia.
© Shutterstock
20 / 29 Fotos
Ebola - Health 24 reports that the fatality rate for Ebola can range from 50-90% and those infected can die within hours after symptoms first appear.
© iStock
21 / 29 Fotos
MRSA - The bacteria, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), causes infections in various areas of the body. It is fatal when the infections lead to sepsis or septic shock.
© iStock
22 / 29 Fotos
MRSA - Depending on where the disease is contracted, it can cause skin infections, including boils and sores, in addition to more serious infections involving the bloodstream and lungs.
© iStock
23 / 29 Fotos
MRSA - MRSA is spread through direct contact with the infection and can be passed between animals and humans. It is often contracted in facilities where people have weakened immune systems, such as a hospital or nursing home.
© Shutterstock
24 / 29 Fotos
Necrotizing fasciitis
- 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.
© Shutterstock
25 / 29 Fotos
Necrotizing fasciitis - If not treated immediately, it acts quickly and aggressively, causing death within a short period of time. Treatment may range from antibiotics to surgery or even amputation of affected limbs.
© Shutterstock
26 / 29 Fotos
Enterovirus D68 - This virus can spread through saliva, coughing, and sneezing and results in a mild respiratory illness. Symptoms include fever, muscle soreness, cough, and runny nose.
© Shutterstock
27 / 29 Fotos
Enterovirus D68
- 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
© iStock
28 / 29 Fotos
Diseases and infections that can kill you within 24 hours
If you notice symptoms, get help immediately!
© Getty Images
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.
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