Microbes are scary. Responsible for more deaths than weapons of war, we are unable to see them with our naked eyes except for their horrific effects upon the world around them. History is littered with the consequences of disease epidemics, with some regions taking centuries to recover from severe outbreaks of fatal infections. Felling kings and peasants alike, the advent of modern medicine was supposed to rid humanity of these plagues. However, whether due to evolution on the part of bacteria or our own unwillingness to accede to medical expertise, an increasing number of deadly diseases that we prematurely thought were going, or indeed gone, are beginning to reemerge to torment us once more.
Here are 16 potentially fatal diseases that were historically in decline, but are now making a terrifying comeback (Warning: This article contains distressing or unsuitable images and content of a medical nature that might be upsetting to some readers):