City of Beijing is sinking at rate of 11cm(4) inches per year.

The city of Beijing is sinking at a rate of up to 11 centimeters (4 inches) per year, according to a new study in the journal Remote Sensing. The cause of this perplexing plummet, say the researchers, is that the city’s groundwater has become depleted, causing soil to dry out and compress.

The study notes that Beijing is largely hydrated by underground reserves of permeable rock that transmit groundwater, known as aquifers. However, a surge in population, industry, and agriculture in the surrounding area has diminished these subterranean water reserves, causing the city to begin sinking in the 1930s.

Naturally, this is not helped by the fact that the Chinese megacity – which has a population of around 20 million – is laden with the weight of urban congestion and development. It is therefore unsurprising that Beijing’s financial district, where many of its skyscrapers are located, is among the most rapidly sinking neighborhoods.

Using satellite imagery and GPS data, the study authors were able to analyze topographical changes across the Chinese capital from 2003 to 2010, noting that the city is indeed descending. Though Beijing is far from the only sinking metropolis – Mexico City and Venice are two other examples – the fact that it is the fifth most water-stressed city on the planet suggests that the possibility of this trend continuing is high.

As the city’s residents continue to guzzle up around 3.5 billion liters (925 million gallons) of groundwater each year, the researchers are now concerned that the sinking streets could soon cause damage to buildings, railways, and other vital infrastructure.

Three of death.

Although it resides on chilled-out, tourist-friendly beaches, the manchineel tree (Hippomane mancinella) seems hell-bent on its vendetta against humanity.

This tree can found in the Caribbean, the Bahamas, the Gulf of Mexico, parts of northern South America, The Galápagos Islands and even in the U.S. state of Florida. When the Spanish first found the tree during their conquest of the Americas, they named it “arbol de la muerte,” which translates to "tree of death." Even touching its bark can leave you with chemical burns, although its notoriety and toxicity mainly lies in its fruit. Ingesting the sweet-smelling fruit can cause severe vomiting, diarrhea, and seizures.

Nicola Strickland, a consultant radiologist,wrote about her run-in with the “death apple”on her Caribbean holiday in Tobago. After mistaking the fruit for a crab apple, she and her friend took a small bite. Moments later, the “peppery” taste in their mouth turned into a burning sensation and within minutes they struggled to breathe as their airways closed up. Along with this, they developed severe pain in their necks as the toxin began to seep into their lymph nodes. Strickland and her friend were lucky to live; it is speculated they survived purely because they ate such a minuscule amount.

A manchineel tree's "death apple" on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos. image credit: Jason Hollinger/Flickr. (CC BY 2.0)

The tree contains many toxins. However, it is believed most of the unsavory effects come from the organic compound phorbol. Scarily, pretty much every part of the tree contains these toxins, from its bark to its sap.

There are even stories of Caribbean tribes using the sap as an “au naturel” torture device. After tying their captives to the tree, they would then wait for the rain to wash the tree’s highly water-soluble sap over their body. The sap is so packed with toxins, contact with skin can cause blistering, burning and severe irritation.

“Burn it and send it to hell,” you might say. Unfortunately, setting fire to the wood will produce smoke, which will cause massive irritation to the eyes and is even known to cause temporary blindness.

Scientists accidentally discovered a new pigment.

Back in 2009, a lab full of chemists stumbled across a new pigment, more or less by sheer chance. After being heralded as “the creation of a near-perfect blue pigment,” this coincidental eureka moment is now being manufactured for artists’ brushes.

This burst of blue came about when scientists at Oregon State University (OSU) heated manganese oxide, along with other chemicals, to over 1,200°C (2,000°F). Although the scientists were actually looking at manganese oxide for some of its electronic properties, one of their reactions inadvertently birthed a new pigment: the catchily named “YInMn blue.”

The findings of the original study were published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

“Basically, this was an accidental discovery,” said Mas Subramanian, a Milton Harris professor of materials science in the OSU Department of Chemistry, in a statement. "Our work had nothing to do with looking for a pigment.

He added: “Then one day a graduate student who is working on the project was taking samples out of a very hot furnace while I was walking by, and it was blue, a very beautiful blue. I realized immediately that something amazing had happened.”

So, what’s so special about this blue? 

This pigment is far more stable when exposed to heat or acidic conditions. Additionally, unlike Prussian blue or Cobalt blue pigments, it doesn’t release cyanide and is not carcinogenic – that's always a plus. Not only that, the highly reflective properties of the new pigment means it could be used in paints that could help keep buildings cool by reflecting infrared light.

Subramanian told Artnet in a recent interview that the pigment has become a popular choice among artists because of its vivid color and resistant properties. The paint manufacturersShepherd Color Company have also licensed a patent and is now selling samples of YInMn blue.

He added: “Our pigment is useful for art restoration, because it is similar to ultramarine but really more durable.”

What Is Dragon Fruit .

Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit that has become increasingly popular in recent years.

People enjoy it for its unique look and taste, and there’s evidence it may provide health benefits.

This article explains everything you need to know about dragon fruit.

What Is Dragon Fruit?

Dragon fruit grows on the Hylocereus cactus, also known as the Honolulu Queen, whose flowers only open at night.

The plant is native to southern Mexico and Central America. Today, it is grown all over the world.

It goes by many names, including pitaya, pitahaya and strawberry pear.

The two most common types have bright, red skin with green scales that resemble a dragon — hence the name.

The variety that’s most widely available has white pulp with black seeds. The less common variety has red pulp with black seeds.

Another variety has yellow skin and white pulp with black seeds. It is referred to as yellow dragon fruit.

Dragon fruit may look exotic, but its flavors are similar to other fruits.Its taste has been described as a slightly sweet cross between a kiwiand a pear.

This is what dragon fruit looks like:

Bottom Line: Dragon fruit is a tropical fruit that is native to Mexico and Central America. The taste is like a combination of a kiwi and a pear.

Nutrition Facts

Dragon fruit contains small amounts of several nutrients and is a good source of vitamin C and iron.

Here are the nutrition fact for a serving of 3.5 ounces, or 100 grams:

• Calories: 52.
• Protein: 1.1 gram.
• Fat: 0.4 grams.
• Carbs: 11 grams.
• Fiber: 3 grams.
• Vitamin C: 34% of the RDI.
• Iron: 10.6% of the RDI.
• Thiamine: 2.7% of the RDI.
• Riboflavin: 2.9% of the RDI.

Given the high amount of fiber and vitamin C, as well as the extremely low calorie content, it can be considered to be a highly nutrient-dents fruit.

Bottom Line: Dragon fruit is a low-calorie fruit that is high in fiber and provides more than one-third of the RDI for vitamin C.

It Contains Antioxidants

Dragon fruit contains several types of antioxidants.

These are compounds that protect cells from unstable molecules called free radical, which are linked to chronic disease risk and aging.

These are some of the main antioxidants contained in the pulp:

• Betalains: These deep red pigments have been shown to protect LDL cholesterol from becoming oxidized or damaged.
• Hydroxycinnamates: This group of compounds has demonstrated anti-cancer activity in test-tube and animal studies.
• Flavonoids: This large, diverse group of antioxidants is linked to better brain health and a reduced risk of heart disease.

One study compared the antioxidant properties of 17 tropical fruits and berries.

While dragon fruit’s antioxidant capacity was not as high as many other fruits’, it was found to be best at protecting certain fatty acids from free radical damage.

Bottom Line: Dragon fruit contains several antioxidants that protect cells from damage. These include betalains, hydroxycinnamates and flavonoids.

Potential Health Benefits

Animal studies suggest that dragon fruit may provide benefits for a variety of health conditions.

Many of these are likely due to the high amount of vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants.

Both red and white varieties of dragon fruit have been shown to reduce insulin resistance and fatty liver in obese mice.

In one study, mice were fed a high-fat diet. Those also given an extract of the fruit gained less weight and had reductions in liver fat, insulin resistance and inflammation, which were attributed in part to beneficial changes in gut bacteria.

This fruit may improve certain features of metabolic syndrome, a precursor to type 2 diabetes. However, not all effects may be favorable.

In a study of mice fed a high-fat, high-carb diet, the group that received dragon fruit juice had better blood sugar responses and reductions in some liver enzyme markers, while another liver enzyme marker significantly increased.

In another study, diabetic rats treated with an extract from the fruit had a 35% reduction in malondialdehyde, a marker of free-radical damage. They also had less arterial stiffness, compared to the control group.

However, there are no studies that confirm these benefits in humans.

Bottom Line: Animal studies suggest dragon fruit may help improve insulin resistance, liver fat and heart health. However, human studies are needed.

Adverse Effects

Overall, dragon fruit appears to be safe. However, people may develop an allergic reaction in some rare cases.

In two cases, women with no history of food allergies developed anaphylactic reactions after consuming a fruit mixture that contained dragon fruit.

Testing confirmed they had antibodies against it.

These are the only two reported allergic reactions at this point, but many other people may be allergic to the fruit without knowing it.

Bottom Line: To date, there have been two reported cases of a severe allergic reaction to the fruit.

How to Eat Dragon Fruit

Although it may look somewhat intimidating, dragon fruit is actually very easy to eat.

Here’s how to eat dragon fruit:

• Select a ripe fruit with bright red, evenly colored skin that gives way slightly when squeezed.
• Use a sharp knife and cut straight through the fruit, slicing it in half.
• You can use a spoon to eat the fruit out of the skin. You can also peel the skin off and slice the fruit into small pieces.

Ideas for serving dragon fruit:

• Simply slice it up and eat it.
• Chop it into small pieces and top with Greek yogurtand chopped nuts.
• Include it in a salad.

Healthy recipes with dragon fruit:

• Seared sallops with dragon fruit Salsa.
• Dragon Fruit Berry Bliss Chia Pudding.

Bottom Line: Dragon fruit is easy to prepare and can be enjoyed on its own or paired with other foods in healthy recipes.

6 Dinosaur myth you must know.

 the first dinosaur bone was described in 1676, it was thought to come from an elephant or perhaps a giant. Over a century later, scientists realised such fossils came from a creature they named Megalosaurus, portrayed as a sort of stocky, overgrown lizard. Then, in 1842, leading anatomist Richard Owen recognised Megalosaurus as part of a whole new group of animals, which he named Dinosauria, or “Terrible Lizards”.

Since then, around 700 different dinosaur species have been described, with more foundever month. Our ideas about dinosaurs have also changed radically. The dinosaurs we know today are very different from the ones in the books you may have read as a child.

3d artist image of the Megalosaurus. Elenarts/Shutterstock

Myth 1: Dinosaurs Were All Big

The name dinosaur tends to evoke images of giants – and certainly many were very large.Tyrannosaurus rex was around 12 metres long and weighed more than five tonnes, the size of an elephant, and it probably wasn’t even thebiggest carnivore. Long-necked, plant-eating sauropods grew to titanic proportions. The enormous Argentinosaurus is known from just a few bones, but its size has been estimated at 30 metres in length and 80 tonnes in weight. That’s larger than any living land mammal and all but the largest whales. And dinosaurs are unique here. No other group of land animals before or since was able to grow as large.

But not all dinosaurs were giants. The horned dinosaur Protoceratops was the size of a sheep.Velociraptor was the size of a golden retriever and had to be scaled up for Jurassic Park to make it more terrifying. Recent years have seen an explosion in the number of small species discovered, such as the
cat-sized raptor Hesperonychus, the rabbit-sized plant-eater Tianyulong, and the quail-sized insect-eater Parvicursor. The smaller species were probably more common than their giant cousins. It’s just that the massive bones of a T. rex are more likely to have been preserved and a lot easier to spot in the field.

Myth 2: Dinosaurs Were All Scaly

When dinosaurs were first discovered, it seemed obvious that because they were related to crocodiles and lizards, they must have been scaly. And many dinosaurs – including duckbills, horned dinosaurs, sauropods, and armoured dinosaurs – dopreserve scale impressions. But in the 1970s, palaeontologists began wondering if some dinosaurs might have been feathered, like their bird relatives.

This was considered wild speculation at the time, but in 1997 a small carnivorous dinosaurnamed Sinosauropteryx was found to be covered not with scales, but a soft, fuzzy down. Since then, feathers have been discovered on the plant-eating ornithopods, fanged heterodontosaurs, and many families of carnivorous dinosaurs including Tyrannosauridae- meaning that T. rex was probably covered in feathers, not scales.

Soft and fuzzy A Gude/Flickr, CC BY-SA

Myth 3: Dinosaurs Were All Green And Brown

Early paintings of dinosaurs favoured a drab palette, with monotone animals dressed in depressing shades of grey, green, and brown. If the Mesozoic era really was that dreary, no wonder they went extinct. But in reality the colours would have been much more vibrant, even garish. Studies of dinosaur scales and feathers have revealed traces of melanin, the same pigment that lends colour to lizard scales, bird feathers and our hair. Analyses show that dinosaurs came in a wide variety of colours including black, white, and ginger. A few show-offs even had an iridescent sheen to their feathers.

Not only that, but many dinosaurs were boldly patterned with spots and stripes, white bellies and dark backs. Some of these patterns probably evolved as camouflage, to help dinosaurs hide from predators and prey. But bright colours and conspicuous patterns would have served to draw the eye of potential mates, much like the tail of a peacock.

Myth 4: Dinosaurs Were Bad Parents

Most reptiles simply bury their eggs and walk away, leaving their offspring to fend for themselves as best they can. This hands-off parenting is risky. A sea turtle must lay thousands of eggs over its lifespan to see a few grow up. Dinosaurs were once thought to use the same “lay ‘em and leave ‘em” strategy. We now know that’s wrong.

Living dinosaur relatives – birds and crocodiles – guard their eggs and their young, so it’s a reasonable assumption that the dinosaurs did as well. And there’s now evidence of this. When expeditions to the Gobi Desert found a dinosaur atop a clutch of eggs, it was assumed to have died while plundering the nest. It was named Oviraptor, or “egg thief”. But then more skeletons were found atop clutches of eggs,sitting on them like brooding birds. It turns outOviraptor didn’t eat eggs —- it was guarding them.

We can go to the gift shop after you’ve eaten Dave Catchpole/Flickr, CC BY

Myth 5: Dinosaurs Were Doomed To Extinction

Dinosaur extinction was long blamed on some failure of the dinosaurs themselves, a failure to adapt to the changing environment. In reality, dinosaurs were diverse for more than 100m years with fossils found in North and South America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and even Antarctica.

Although some argue this diversity was in decline, the fossils show that dinosaurs remained widespread, common and diverse until 66m years ago, when an asteroid struckthe Earth in what is now Mexico. Debris from the impact blocked out the sun and plunged the world into darkness. The disappearance of the dinosaurs wasn’t fated – it was a cosmic accident. If the asteroid had deviated by a fraction of a fraction of a degree, dinosaurs would still rule the planet – and we wouldn’t.

Myth 6: Dinosaurs All Became Extinct

The asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs, almost.T. rex, Triceratops and the rest disappeared, but a handful of small feathered dinosaurs, probably less than a dozen species, survived. They were birds — small, flying cousins of T. rexand Velociraptor and the direct descendants of the carnivorous dinosaurs. And they not only survived but thrived, evolving into some ten thousand species of birds.

10 most deadliest diseases

Whilst it is a ecological necessity that infectious disease pathogens evolve to spread more efficiently there is no obvious reason why some of them wreak such horrific deaths on their hosts. You would think it in a pathogen’s interest to keep its host alive for as long as possible to spread to as many more people as possible. But no. It’s almost as if some sadistic fiend sat down and designed these diseases to instill as much terror on the population as possible.

The list of diseases below are all infectious, all frequently fatal and all very, very unpleasant. The order reflects a mix of how deadly they are and how horrific the symptoms are.

10. Influenza (Flu)

To most people flu is a pretty unpleasant illness contracted 2-3 times in a lifetime. However, influenza was responsible for one of the most destructive pandemics of all time – the Spanish Flu (1918-1919) which killed up to 100 million people. The particular type of flu strain (H1N1) was unusual in that most fatalities where amongst the young and healthy. It seems that the flu actually turned the healthy body’s immune system on itself creating a “cytokine storm” which attacked the lungs.

The most recent flu to hit the headlines was Swine influenza. The alarms bells started ringing when it was found to be a new variant of the H1N1 strain. Deaths did occur and it did seem particularly virulent, but nothing compared to the scale of Spanish flu. I actually had Swine flu and it wasn’t nice.

Perhaps the biggest reason to fear influenza is its ability to combine and mutate to form new strains. Chief amongst these fears is that a super-virulent strain will combine with a highly transmissible strain. This could even happen across species as is the case with the potentially lethal H5N1 Bird flu. Currently bird flu is not able to spread from person-to-person, however, just a small genetic event could open the way for a major epidemic.

9. HIV/AIDS

Human immunodeficiency virus infection / acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) works by effectively destroying the body’s defences to any number of other diseases and infections. There is still no cure or vaccine and until very recently, no effective treatment. To date more than 30 million people have died of AIDS with nearly 40 million currently infected.

HIV increases the chances of picking up infections such as TB, toxoplasmosis and hepatitis. It also raises the possibility of developing several forms of cancer. New treatments with antiviral drugs have increased life expectancy greatly for those with HIV. However, it is the ever changing nature of the HIV virus that makes it so difficult to combat. The virus actually inserts itself into the DNA of the body’s cells, becoming part of your genetic template. Not only that but it evolves rapidly within the body to the extent that evolutionary trees can be made from virus samples taken in different parts of the body.

8. TB (Tuberculosis)

Tuberculosis can affect any part of the body

TB is highly contagious and easily spread through airborne droplets e.g. a sneeze. In fact around a third of the world’s population is actually infected with TB. Fortunately this is in the latent form and is more than likely they will never be aware. Only 1 in 10 cases progress to the active disease which has a 50% mortality rate if not treated. Tuberculosis kills around 1.5 million people worldwide every year, second only to malaria.

The disease primarily affects lungs but can affect any part of body including the testicles (ouch!). The most common initial symptoms are coughing up blood followed by rapid weight loss – this is where the name consumption came from. As the disease progresses large areas of the lungs are necrotized and turned into a cheese like substance. In extreme cases the infection can erode into the pulmonary artery of the lung risking the patient drowning in their own blood.

TB affecting the rest of the body (extrapulmonary tuberculosis) occurs in around 20% of cases. It can affect the nervous system, urogenital system and bones, as can be seen in the photo above where the spine has been infected and collapsed in on itself. In some cases TB can be invade many organs (Miliary TB) affecting the liver, spleen, brain as well as the lungs – this is a particularly serious condition. Ironically most of the tissue damage in TB is caused by body’s own immune system bombarding the infected area with cocktail of chemicals.

Whilst many cases of TB are now treatable with antibiotics new resistant forms are emerging raising the spectre of consumption once again sweeping the world.

7. Anthrax

Anthrax is a bacterial infection which in most forms is lethal. There are three ways in which a person can become infected and this is very important to how the disease progresses. The most lethal way is by inhalation. If not treated this is invariably fatal. With prompt antibiotic treatment still only around half survive.
Anthrax can be ingested, often through infected meat. The initial symptoms of this form include vomiting blood and extreme diarrhea. Outcomes are slightly better if treated with a 25-60% mortality rate.
The bacteria can also spread through broken skin. This causes a dark ulcer and may result in whole limb becoming very inflamed. However, death is rare as the pathogen cannot penetrate beyond skin.

The active ingredient of Anthrax is the imaginatively named “Lethal toxin“, although it is not actually lethal until in combination with edema factor, and protective antigen. Together theses cause wide scale tissue destruction and bleeding with dark, non-clotting blood oozing from bodily orifices. Death occurs within a few days to 2 weeks.

Anthrax is rare but has not been consigned to the history books. In recent years two  cases involving drum skins in US and UK have been reported. The mode of infection here was through the drum skins made from animals being contaminated with anthrax spores. This is one of the scariest things about anthrax it can exist as dormant spores which may survive for 100s of years. An island in Scotland was rendered uninhabitable for 50 years after anthrax experiments by the British government. It had to be decontaminated before anyone could return. It is very difficult to eradicate anthrax spores with burning being one of the few options.

Obviously something this deadly attracted the military and anthrax was weaponized by both US and USSR. In Russia 68 civilians were killed  in the 1979 Sverdlovsk incident when weapons grade anthrax accidentally leaked. Bioterrorism is also a possibility with a series of fatal postal attacks in carried out in the USA in 2001

6. Cholera

Cholera is one of the most infectious diseases and is easily passed through contaminated food and water. Historically it has ripped through communities leaving half dead, even now it is estimated to kill 120,000 per year. In the past epidemics killed millions.

Cholera kills through rapid dehydration. The symptoms are non-stop vomiting and diarrhea until you can’t anymore – and then some more. One estimate suggest patients can produce up to 20 litres (5 US gal) of diarrhea a day. What is tragic about the disease is it is very cheap and easy to treat with fluids and electrolytes. When treated only 1% of cases result in death; untreated there is an over 60% chance of fatality. The most virulent strains of cholera can kill within 2 hrs if the patient is left untreated.

5. MRSA

MRSA, or Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus to give it its full name, is particularly scary as it renders modern medicine ineffective. The so called “Superbug” has the ability to plunge us straight back to the Dark Ages where peasants were afflicted with all manner of boils and hideous skin diseases! But MRSA is more than just a skin infection it has been known to kill within 24hrs.

There are a number of  strains of MRSA with some much more virulent than others(ST1:USA400 and ST8:USA300). But they all have one thing in common; they are resistant to a wide range of the most commonly used antibiotics that are available to mankind. In theory they should produce the same symptoms as a standard staph infection, and most of the time they do. However, not only are they not easily treatable, but in many cases appear much more pathogenic than their non-resistant relatives.

Conditions associated associated with MRSA include:

Necrotizing fasciitis  – a flesh eating condition affecting deeper layers of  the skin.
Toxic shock syndrome  – a systemic infection that can be fatal.
Necrotizing pneumonia – flesh eating infection of the lungs.
Osteomyelitis – a painful bone infection.
Sepsis – a potentially fatal infection of the bloodstream
Endocarditis – infection of the heart

MRSA can effectively eat your body with very few available antibiotics effective – and resistance growing. It seems that the antibiotic era is drawing to an end and much of this is down to people misusing and overusing them.

4. Rabies

Rabies is invariably fatal if not treated immediately after bite. If intervention only occurs after the symptoms start showing there is an 8% chance of survival. Worldwide rabies kills around 55,000 people, mostly in Africa and India, but it does still exist in the US and Europe.

Rabies first infects the central nervous system and ultimately causes disease in the brain leading to death. Symptoms include acute pain, violent movements, uncontrolled excitement/mania and hydrophobia. This is seen as panic when the patient is given liquids to drink even when thirsty and triggers excruciatingly painful spasms of the muscles in the throat. Perhaps the best known symptom though is the foaming at the mouth caused by the excessive production of saliva.

The incubation period for rabies varies greatly from a few days to several years. Unfortunately once symptoms begin death occurs within 2-10 days.
Rabies can be carried by any warm blooded animal,but in the vast majority of cases it is a bite from a dog that is the source.

3. Smallpox

Smallpox is possibly the most horrific looking of any disease. The classic symptom is the body being covered in pox, fluid filled pustules. This isn’t limited to the skin either they can occur in the mouth and throat. The disease has been around since 10,000 BC and was responsible for 300 million deaths since 1800 alone.

Whilst the mortality rate is only around one third most survivors suffer some scarring with other complications including blindness. The number of deaths is high though because smallpox is incredibly contagious.
The mortality rate depends on the course the disease takes. Of the four forms malignant and hemorrhagic smallpox are usually fatal. In hemorrhagic smallpox, most serious form, there is no blistering of the skin, instead there is bleeding under skin causing it to turn black. Given the name “black pox” this form would  kill in around 6 days.

The good news about smallpox is it has been officially eradicated. The world has been free of smallpox since 1976 with the last recorded case two-year old Rahima Banu in Bangladesh.

Of course the deadly potential of smallpox was recognised by the military. It was first used as a bioweapon by British as early as 1789 against Australian aborigines. Weaponized by Soviets during the Cold War it now only exists in laboratories. One worry is smallpox could potentially be re-engineered from digital viral genome and inserted into related pox virus.

2. Bubonic Plague

If any disease can evoke pure terror then it is Bubonic Plague. Responsible for the Black Death which swept Europe in the middle ages killing an estimated 100 million people. There have been other plague epidemics including one in the 6th century which killed 50 million throughout the Roman Empire.

The plague is spread by a bacteria carried by rat fleas, unfortunately for them it kills them too. Symptoms occur within 2-5 days of a bite;  initially the lymph glands nearest the flea bite swell up like golf balls (buboes). Further symptoms include cramps, seizures and even vomiting blood. Acral gangrene at the extremities causing fingers, toes and noses to turn black are common and the skin may become very discoloured. This is where the name “Black Death” came from. In the latter stages there may be extreme pain caused by skin decaying on the living person.

Bubonic Plague (Yersinia pestis) still exists and sporadic cases occur even in the USA. There have been major outbreaks as recent as 1946 but nothing on the scale of the great plagues in history. The (relatively) good news is it can be effectively treated if antibiotics are given within 24hrs. Otherwise the mortality rate is in excess of 60% .

Naturally the military would not miss out on a chance to utilise something as terrifying as the plague. It is in fact one of the first ever biological weapons having been used in the 14th century. In this case diseased corpses were catapulted over the walls of besieged cities. The Japanese also used weaponized bubonic plague against the Chinese in World War II.

1. Ebola

Ebola is highly contagious with evidence that it can be spread via air. There is no treatment. There is no vaccine. Agonising death has been known to occur in excess of 90% of cases in some outbreaks. For these reasons the Ebola virus trumps any current disease to become the deadliest infectious disease on the planet.

Ebola is actually a group of viruses all of which are native to central Africa. The first reported cases in the mid-1970s appear to have been related to the local taste for bush meat, i.e. indigenous wildlife. One of the scary thing about Ebola is nobody is certain where it came from. And nobody knows for sure where it exists. It is assumed there is a natural reservoir of the virus within some animal population, but the species is unknown.

Infection with Ebola starts out with pain practically everywhere;  joints, muscles, abdominal cramps, headaches. Various rashes usually also appear. Ebola interferes with the blood’s clotting mechanism and bleeding may occur from every orifice.  Near inevitable death is usually caused by multiple organ failure and internal tissue necrosis.
Surprisingly, of those who do survive many make a complete recovery. It is worth noting though that the Ebola virus can be transmitted via semen up to 12 weeks after an infection.

In the post Cold War era no government has taken it upon themselves to try and turn Ebola into a weapon of war. But with its great potential to kill horribly it has been judged a category A bioterrorism agent.