We might have finally left the COVID-19 pandemic behind, but that didn’t stop 2023 from being filled with some of the weirdest medical stories we’ve ever heard.
From leprosy, lead poisoning, and listeria, to parasites, almost-pandemics, and more, 2023 was far from the relaxing break from chaos caused by COVID-19. Tens of thousands of Americans suffered from various food-borne illnesses in 2023, and while this is nothing new, it felt like this year was worse than others.
Most recently, a restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina, became the suspected source of a massive norovirus outbreak that sickened more than 200 people. But it was a listeria outbreak that really defined food-related medical issues this year, with a number of deaths and hospitalizations related to multi-state outbreaks of the bacteria. And that’s not to mention the salmonella outbreak caused by pet turtles which erupted in August, nor the cyclosporiasis outbreak that infected more than 200 Americans via raw broccoli.
One of the scarier stories came from the Rugby World Cup, where at least 15 cases of suspected botulism were identified, and one person died.
Then there’s all the stories of sexually transmitted diseases from 2023. One of the wildest stories of 2023 came from Michigan, where a common sex partner gave at least five different women ocular syphilis. There’s also been a 900% increase in the number of babies born with syphilis in Mississippi. Guys, what the hell?
Fungal disease is about to be a big problem for humans https://t.co/u0MNsDK1vM
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 15, 2023
Dengue fever also became a global issue in 2023, with hundreds of thousands of people across the Americas and the rest of the world contracting the disease from mosquito bites. More than 100,000 people were infected in Peru alone, and some 200 killed.
There were also outbreaks of Nipah virus in India, a zoonotic virus that spreads easily between animals and humans. More than 70% of those who contract the disease succumb to seizures, coma, and brain swelling. And concerns were raised after the deadly Marburg virus raised its head in at least two African nations earlier in the year. (RELATED: ‘It’s Just A Matter Of Time’: Scientists Issue Warning As Deadly, Ebola-Like Virus Spreads)
But the freakiest thing from 2023 is the fact that so many “time-traveling” pathogens are waking up from melting permafrost. And apparently they’re pretty angry.
Then, HBO’s “Last Of Us” decided to plant a new fear in our minds: death by deadly fungi, which unfortunately happened to one Australian family (though not in the same way the show portrays) and at a U.S. paper mill. Scientists do actually study fungus to ensure a “Last Of Us” style apocalypse doesn’t happen.
Oh, and leprosy made a come-back in Florida. What a horrendous year. Let us pray for less suffering in 2024.