Top 10 Deadly Diseases Cured in the 20th Century

7. Typhus

In just 5 outbreaks where detailed accounts of the dead were kept, typhus has killed more than 3 million people. The death toll of this disease is certainly much higher, as it has ravaged humanity since at least 15th century. Large gatherings of people with poor sanitation are typhus’ favorite breeding grounds and armies throughout the history have been especially susceptible to it. Napoleon’s Grand Army during their retreat from Moscow in 1812 and Russian army during the Word War 1 were some that have been the most affected. The lack of reliable data is the only thing preventing typhus from being placed much higher on this list.