• 1953: A woman seeing her new born baby whilst lying inside an iron lung as part of her treatment for Polio.
    By Marina Manoukian

    The Messed Up History Of Polio

    Polio is thought to have been around for thousands of years, but it didn't reach pandemic levels until the 20th century. This is the messed up history of polio.

    By Marina Manoukian Read More
  • 'Sterne and Death'. 1768. Portrait of Irish-born author and clergyman Laurence Sterne
    By Marina Manoukian

    The Messed Up History Of Tuberculosis

    Tuberculosis, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is one of the deadliest infections a human can get. Here's the messed up history.

    By Marina Manoukian Read More
  • A dead victim of cholera at Sunderland in 1832. Coloured lithograph by IWG
    By Kate Sullivan

    The Messed Up History Of Cholera

    Cholera is a bacterial infection that causes severe diarrhea, vomiting, and leg cramps and is transmitted through contaminated food and water.

    By Kate Sullivan Read More
  • mosquito
    By Cody Copeland

    The Messed Up History Of West Nile Virus

    AM NY recently reported that West Nile virus claimed the life of one New Yorker, and five others were diagnosed with the disease. Cases were also confirmed in Massachusetts, California, and Ontario, Canada, in September 2020, and authorities in Texas identified the virus in mosquito pools.

    By Cody Copeland Read More
  • A close-up photograph of the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
    By Daniel Leonard

    The Messed Up History Of Zika Virus

    Zika is a mosquito-borne virus illness that is spread through a common type of mosquito. Here is what you need to know about the history of Zika virus.

    By Daniel Leonard Read More
  • Coronavirus outbreak infecting respiratory system.
    By Karen Corday

    The Messed Up History Of MERS

    MERS, also known as MERS-CoV, or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, is a virus transferred to humans from infected animals -- in this case, dromedary camels, the ones with one hump. MedicalNewsToday reports that MERS-CoV was first discovered in Saudi Arabia September 20, 2012.

    By Karen Corday Read More
  • Mosquito
    By Emilia David

    The Messed Up History Of Dengue Fever

    The CDC said there are four different kinds of dengue viruses, and so some people may get the disease up to four times in their lifetime if they're unlucky. While generally considered a mild condition, people do die from dengue. About 400 million are infected with dengue every year.

    By Emilia David Read More
  • Hart Island seen from City Island, New York City
    By Sarah Crocker

    The Messed Up History Of New York's Hart Island

    Hart Island has been host prisoners of war, quarantined city dwellers, convicts, the mentally ill, and more. And, almost always, it has been set aside for the burial of New York City's indigent and unclaimed dead. This is the messed up history of New York's Hart Island.

    By Sarah Crocker Read More
  • Scientists studying test tubes
    By Nick Vrchoticky

    The Messed Up History Of Ebola

    Ebola is a pretty nasty disease. The virus can cause symptoms that you'd expect to see in a horror film. The more mild symptoms include fever, body aches, fatigue, and intense vomiting and diarrhea. The more extreme cases include kidney and liver impairment.

    By Nick Vrchoticky Read More
  • Aedes aegypti mosquito, the subspecies that can carry yellow fever
    By Sarah Crocker

    The Messed Up History Of Yellow Fever

    Yellow fever has a history of plaguing humans for centuries. While today a vaccine can protect us, it had a history of affecting Panama Canal construction.

    By Sarah Crocker Read More
  • Mosquito in red "no" symbol
    By Karen Corday

    The Messed Up History Of Malaria

    The CDC cites statistics from the World Health Organization: "in 2018, 228 million clinical cases of malaria occurred, and 405,000 people died of malaria, most of them children in Africa" with underdeveloped immune systems. It is fatal if not treated.

    By Karen Corday Read More
  • Ohio National Guardsmen and students at Kent State in 1970
    By Natasha Lavender

    The Messed Up History Of The Kent State Massacre

    The Kent State massacre was the killing of four and wounding of nine students at Kent State in Ohio on May 4, 1970 by National Guardsmen. Student protests had emerged on campus over conflict in Vietnam and Cambodia, and the Ohio National Guard shot unarmed students in the process.

    By Natasha Lavender Read More
  • The Village People
    By Gina Scanlon

    The Messed Up History Of Disco

    Disco culture emerged from underground house parties which showcased the music of Black, LGBT, and Latino cultures in the early 1970s. The history of disco is full of tragedy, from Freddie Mercury's death, to the shuttering of Studio 54, and the riots of Disco Demolition Night.

    By Gina Scanlon Read More
  • Woman with leprosy
    By Nick Vrchoticky

    The Messed Up History Of Leprosy

    A disease like leprosy, with its profound, visible symptoms like discolored skin, open ulcers, and facial swelling, was not only incurable, but terrifying.

    By Nick Vrchoticky Read More
  • A rusted can of lysol in a dingy bathroom
    By Felix Behr

    The Messed Up History Of Lysol

    Lysol's usage extended far beyond cleansing kitchen counters during the plague into more unusual purposes. This is the messed up history of Lysol.

    By Felix Behr Read More
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