3 reasons to be afraid, very afraid
Some (not-so) far-out scenarios to keep you on your toes
BY Emily Rauhala
1. Plague
If you thought the plague was a relic of the Middle Ages, think again. Every year there are 1,000 to 3,000 cases of this deadly disease, including an estimated 10 to 15 cases in the United States. Caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria and spread by rodents and their fleas, the plague ravages the human lymphatic system. Within days of being bitten by an infected flea or animal, pustules form and blood vessels leak. Without treatment, half of all plague cases are fatal. Though the disease is not currently seen in Canada, cross-border trade and “exotic” pets such as prairie dogs or migratory birds drawn north by climate change could bring Yersinia pestis to a rat—or squirrel—near you.
2. Bio-terror
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that several strains of hemorrhagic fever could be used as bio-weapons, including the infamous Ebola virus that terrorized part of Western Uganda this winter. An outbreak of hemorrhagic fever in a densely populated area, the CDC warns, could quickly cause widespread illness and death. The unlucky souls who inhaled the deadly air would suffer massive bleeding and multi-organ failure. And, in case you were planning on stockpiling the antidote in your beer fridge, there is no cure, just as there’s no vaccine.
3. Meteor
Some believe that 65 million years ago a giant meteorite hit our planet, killing off the dinosaurs. The odds of a meteor wiping out the human race are slim, but if you’re not the betting type, consider this: NASA says 1,000 to 10,000 tonnes of meteoritic material falls on earth each day. Most meteorites are tiny, but some, like the 60-tonne monster that hit present-day Namibia some 80,000 years ago, are big. But, really, who’s counting?
