Five Disease Outbreaks That Are Worse Than Swine Flu

Swine flu has infected 1,500 people worldwide and killed around 30, almost all in Mexico. But it is far from the world's most serious disease outbreak. Here are five you probably won't see on the evening news.

CHOLERA
What is it? An acute diarrheal infection that can lead to death from dehydration or severe kidney failure. Unlike other diarrheal diseases, it is often deadly in both children and adults.
Current outbreak: In what the World Health Organization described as the "worst case scenario," a cholera outbreak that began in August 2008 has infected more than 96,000 people in Zimbabwe, resulting in over 4,200 deaths. The country's lack of water and sewer infrastructure has exacerbated the problem, not to mention the fact that many Zimbabwean doctors are refusing to work for Zimbabwe's virtually worthless currency. In recent months, the number of new reported cases has declined, but the WHO warns that a return of the disease is likely in August.

SPINAL MENINGITIS
What is it? An infection of the fluid around the spinal cord and brain. Severe cases of bacterial meningitis can result in brain damage or death if not treated quickly.

Current outbreak: Since the beginning of 2009, a meningitis outbreak has killed more than 1,900 people in the three countries -- 1,500 in Nigeria alone. More than 56,000 cases have been reported in the worst outbreak of the disease since 1996, when at least 25,000 people died. In Chad, where meningitis drugs are difficult to find, one in 10 people infected with the disease dies. It is thought that an unusually cold climate has made the outbreak worse than normal this year. In response, NGO Médecins Sans Frontieres has launched its largest-ever vaccination campaign for any disease. The group has already vaccinated 5.4 million people and plans to vaccinate another 1.7 million.

AIDS
What is it? A disease affecting the human immune system, making individuals more susceptible to deadly infections. AIDS has killed 25 million people around the world since 1981.

Current outbreak: China has attracted international attention for the draconian measures it has taken to prevent a swine flu outbreak, but it has been less quick to react to the AIDS epidemic that killed 7,000 people throughout the country in the first nine months of 2008 alone. AIDS quietly became the deadliest infectious disease in the country last year, beating out tuberculosis. China's numbers are still relatively smaller relative to world totals, but their rise has been meteoric. Three years ago, fewer than 8,000 people had ever died of AIDS in China.

EBOLA
What is it? A severe viral disease in humans and primates that causes fever, muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and in some cases internal bleeding and skin rash. Ebola has a very high fatality rate, up to 90 percent in some outbreaks, and has appeared sporadically since 1976. The disease tends to infect healthcare workers or family members who bury the dead.

Current outbreak: The most recent outbreak of the disease in Congo was declared over in mid-February after 32 cases and 15 deaths. 2007's outbreak was more severe, resulting in 187 deaths, 71 percent of those affected. Uganda, Sudan, and Gabon have also suffered outbreaks in the last decade. The good news? Ebola is unlikely to develop into a pandemic because of the difficulty of transmission, but its terrifyingly high fatality rate has caused countries to close their borders in order to prevent its spread.

DENGUE FEVER
What is it? An infection spread by mosquitoes that causes acute muscle and joint pain. Cases are generally non-lethal but dengue occasionally results in a deadly hemorrhagic fever.
Current outbreak: While the world's attention has been focused on Mexico's swine flu, a severe dengue outbreak infected 50,000 people in Bolivia and more than 20,000 in Argentina. (Georgetown's Michael Shifter wrote for FP this week about how the Argentine government's slow response to the crisis has become a scandal in Buenos Aires