**Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)**: Known for its high mortality rate and gruesome symptoms, EVD outbreaks have sparked fear in Africa.
**HIV/AIDS**: This virus weakens the immune system, leading to deadly opportunistic infections and cancers, accompanied by social stigma.
**Bubonic Plague**: The Black Death caused by Yersinia pestis in the Middle Ages led to millions of deaths across continents.
**Smallpox**: Eradicated in 1980, smallpox caused high mortality rates and distinctive skin rashes before vaccination efforts.
**Rabies**: Fear of rabies arises from its fatal outcome and association with aggressive behavior transmitted by infected animals.
**Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD)**: Rapid mental deterioration characterizes this fatal brain disorder caused by abnormal proteins.
**Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)**: HPS, transmitted by rodents, induces sudden respiratory distress with high mortality rates.
**Leprosy**: Historically stigmatized, leprosy causes disfigurement and nerve damage due to bacterial infection.
**Malaria**: This mosquito-borne disease, prevalent in tropical regions, leads to severe fever and flu-like symptoms.
**Tuberculosis (TB)**: TB, a bacterial infection primarily affecting the lungs, poses challenges due to drug-resistant strains and historical mortality rates.