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It seemed like just a few decades ago that diseases were rife and people were dying all over the world of the most innocuous problems.
With the advancements in modern medicine, those once insurmountable odds now feel quite low and we know that there are several diseases that modern medicine can cure. Today we look at the deadly illnesses that can be cured with modern medicine.
Deadly Illnesses Modern Medicine Has Cured
1. Polio
A deadly virus that left its victims mostly paralyzed and sometimes close to death. The eradication of this disease is nothing short of a modern miracle and there is only one man at whose feet credit can be laid.
Jonas Salk, who pioneered the research of the vaccine that does not cure Polio, but eliminates the chances of it catching on. He has single handed saved the lives of millions of children around the world.
2. Malaria
Once abundant in Asia and Africa, malaria was the cause of indiscriminate death. Spread through mosquito bites malaria was one of the leading causes of death in Africa.
Luckily antimalarial drugs are now available that help rid the body of the flu like symptoms.
3. Tuberculosis
A bacterial infection that affects the lungs causes respiratory problems and even death. In fact, it was once the leading cause of death in the United States.
However, since the cure has been found the death due to TB (as it is more popularly known) have reduced drastically. There is even a vaccine available to protect against tuberculosis in parts of the world where the spread of TB is more profuse.
4. SARS
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Although a new illness on the list SARS was not in the least less violent. It appeared in 2003 and claimed almost 800 lives within the span of a few years before it was finally culled.
The treatment was so effective that no new strains of the disease remain, except in the labs where it is being studied.
5. Smallpox
No smallpox strains have been seen in people since the 1980’s. Although the vaccine for the disease was as early as 1796 by Dr. Edward Jenner, it was difficult to store due to its unstable nature, especially in hotter climates.
The vaccine was perfected and spread so quickly around the world that smallpox all but died out. A few strains of the disease are still kept locked up for further study in order to help scientists find cures to other ailments.
6. Yellow Fever
Popularly known as jaundice, yellow fever literally turned some people yellow. Their eyes, fingernails, and even the skin pigment would turn a light shade of yellow. This fever was spread through mosquitoes or unhygienic water.
It’s still found in South America, parts of Asia as well as Africa. There are both medications to help people recover from yellow fever, as well as a vaccine for people who plan to visit South American or African nations to prevent them from contracting it.
More recent breakthroughs in modern medicine are claiming to cure HIV/AIDS, and other more deadly diseases.
Only time can tell how fruitful these efforts will be but the signs look extremely promising. Modern medicine is truly a marvel considering the kind of lifestyle that we now live.
Source:
buzzfeed.com
healthinsurancequotes.org
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