1918-1922 Russia typhus epidemic | |
|---|---|
| Total costs | N/A |
| Deaths | 3000000 |
Epidemic typhus, also known as louse-borne typhus, is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters where civil life is disrupted. Epidemic typhus is spread to people through contact with infected body lice, in contrast to endemic typhus which is usually transmitted by fleas.Though typhus has been responsible for millions of deaths throughout history, it is still considered a rare disease that occurs mainly in populations that suffer unhygienic extreme overcrowding. Typhus is most rare in industrialized countries. It occurs primarily in the colder, mountainous regions of central and east Africa, as well as Central and South America. The causative organism is Rickettsia prowazekii, transmitted by the human body louse (Pediculus humanus corporis). Untreated typhus cases have a fatality rate of approximately 40%.Epidemic typhus should not be confused with Murine typhus, which is more endemic to the United States, particularly Southern California and Texas. This form of typhus has similar symptoms, but is caused by Rickettsia typhi. It is carried primarily in rat feces and fleas, as well as other rodents. It is not as deadly as louse-born typhus. It occurs only during the summer and fall, when rodents are active among humans.
Source: Wikipedia 1948 Ashgabat earthquake | |
|---|---|
| Total costs | N/A |
| Deaths | 110000 |
The 1948 Ashgabat earthquake (Turkmen: 1948 Ашгабат ертитремеси, romanized: 1948 Aşgabat ýertitremesi; Russian: Ашхабадское землетрясение 1948 года, romanized: Ashkhabadskoye zemletryasenie 1948 goda) was on 6 October with a surface wave magnitude of 7.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme), in Turkmenistan near Ashgabat. Due to censorship by the Soviet government, the event was not widely reported in the USSR's media. Historians tend to agree that the ban on reporting the extent of the casualties and damage did not allow the Soviet government to allocate enough financial resources to adequately respond. It was the strongest earthquake recorded in Turkmenistan.
Source: Wikipedia
Welcome to 