We often blame one animal and underestimate another when talking about their influence on humans’ mortality. That’s a reason why you’ll read a list below showing 15 deadliest spices. Don’t judge strictly the rounded numbers as we’re not an animal survey service.
15. Sharks: 6 deaths a year
The reputation of these predators was a bit overrated thanks to “Jaws” and other movies like that. In fact, only 3 people died because of a shark in 2014, and twice more a year later.
14. Wolves: 10 deaths a year
Another victim of stereotypes about attacking severe animals. Though wolves are possible to be met in many countries, the statistics are too weak for human-hunters. The last 50 years in North America and Europe demonstrate only a few cases while several hundred people had suffered from wolves in India for the last twenty years.
13. Lions: 22+ deaths a year
Great African predators have various results every year and in every area. For instance, fifteen years since 1990 sum up 563 human murders only in Tanzania. Despite deaths took place in other African countries, it’s hard to collect all true numbers.
12. Elephants: 500 deaths a year
Elephants seem to be victimized much more often than they kill human beings. However, these huge and cute African and Indian creatures are blamed for approximately 500 murders per year. The foundation of the statistics is a research dedicated to the deaths because of these deadliest animals.
11. Hippopotamuses: 500 deaths a year
Hippos are well-known as the greatest merciless animals on the African continent. They’re supposed to trample down safari fans or tip over boats. Frankly, it’s not right as the average death rate is competing with the previous one.
10. Tapeworms: 700 deaths a year
From fangs and powerful legs, we’re coming to infections. A tapeworm is a qualified carrier of cysticercosis, a disease that destroys around 700 people worldwide that makes them one of the deadliest animals.
9. Crocodiles: 1,000 deaths a year
Dangerous and quick crocodiles can kill a man easily. Thus, they are accused of killing on average one thousand people annually. The UN Food and Agricultural Organization managed to offer these sad numbers.
8. Ascaris roundworms: 4,500 deaths a year
More successful deadly parasites than tapeworms give their main wealth, ascariasis capable to kill. The world health organization providing the statistics of the 2013 research, warns that Ascaris live in small intestine and influence on children much more.
7. Tsetse flies: 10,000 deaths a year
A little fly can destroy thousands of people annually via infection known as sleeping sickness. This illness is wide-spread in Africa and is followed by strong headaches, joint pain, and other neurological issues. Though the number of sleeping sickness dead people is decreasing every year, tsetse flies are still too dangerous for locals and tourists.
6. Assassin bugs: 12,000 deaths a year
Chagas sickness is a weapon of an assassin bug (a.k.a. kissing bug). This disease is responsible for 12 thousand poor people dying year by year in Europe, North America, and Africa. A usual way to transport the infection for the bug is biting the human’s face. Now you know how these deadliest animals gained the romantic alter ego.
5. Freshwater snails: 20,000+ deaths a year
Do you think that snails are pretty and harmless? Here’s a freshwater snail transporting worms which are parasitizing and infecting human beings with schistosomiasis. This infection makes people feel abdominal pain and find blood in urine and stool. The WHO provides statistics upsetting from twenty to two hundred thousand of schistosomiasis infesting cases worldwide.
4. Dogs: 35,000 deaths a year
Thanks to rabies virus dogs become extremely dangerous in this shortlist. Even though an anti-rabies vaccine exists, 99% of known deadly rabies cases in the world are transferred by dogs.
3. Snakes: 100,000 deaths a year
Top 3 starts with snakes which poisoning bite brings to death more than 100 thousand men and women taking into account numbers of 2015. The main problem is how to get a required antidote in time and how to find it.
2. Humans: 437,000 deaths a year
UN offers us 2012-year calculations about 437 thousand murders and suicides. This fact means that the second place in this rank is up to homo sapiens. We’re so smart about destroying ourselves, fortunately, we’re not the best in it.
1. Mosquitoes: 750,000 deaths a year
If you want to find guys who will guarantee the transportation of virus from person A to person B, choose mosquitoes. These small buzzing insects do it regularly while sucking the blood of various people. They are leaders in deaths caused by animals via malaria taking half of mosquitoes’ committed crimes. This disease usually met in Central Africa is constantly giving up. There’s a 37% decrease detected by WHO from 2000 to 2015. The second killing sickness carried by the deadliest animal is, no doubt, Dengue fever that threatens children in Asia and Latin America.
