Infectious Disease Exploration

When you think about all the things that can take your life, ones that come to mind might be:

•    car accidents
•    gang violence
•    cancer
•    heart attacks
•    wars
•    drug abuse
•    homicide
•    smoking
•    malnutrition
•    and many others

 

And even though these can certainly be lethal, they do not add up in raw statistics to the biggest killer of them all. Indeed, the number one cause of human death throughout history has actually been infectious disease. Now in developed countries like the United States, heart disease has surpassed infections as the number one cause, but in developing countries, you can still catch the main threat that will kill you.

Read the story from a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa before proceeding. Only then will you be prepared to tackle the rest of this assignment.