What is the deadliest disease known?

I am not including things like AIDS or cancer which kill over a prolonged period of time and are not highly contagious, e.g., by skin contact or airborne.

Ebola was suggested but apparently there are highly effective vaccines for it now- any other contenders?

Greg, Are You sure that You want to know ?

Bubonic Plague is known to have infected rodent populations all through the U.S. and is found in prairie dog dog populations, in National Parks, squirrels in many large cities,and field mice gallore............It's just a matter of numbers: It killed 20-30 million in the 14th century.

Malaria:Has likely killed off more of the worlds population, over time(no stats kept) and still kills 150,000 African children each month.

Bird Flu(Avian H5N1) " Is not a matter of if, but when"/C.D.C.
It currently has killed relatively few humans but carries a mortality rate if over 50 %. The most recent models of the Far East( Malaysia): Initially ,1 Billion Infected with 2-7 million deaths: This reflects only the far east and it would take 5 years to develop a vaccine and another five to distribute it.
Of course, the worse scenarios the mutation of a strain to directly infects humans from birds or from human to human:Take your pick.

The "Spanish Flu"(H1N1) of 1918 killed more WW I troops than munitions: World wide about 80 million (50-100 million).
Based upon cellular material available( one frozen Alaskan Native) The foremost research suggests that this was directly transmitted from bird to human.
Curiously, this was distinctly , an American flu (Fort Riley , Kansas) and we took it to Europe in WW I. The "Spanish" inference, merely suggests the coverage in the Spanish press.

And then, Ebola virus, at least 14 strains and the worst (Ebo-Z) carries a fatlity rate if near 90 %. It is known to be carried by fruit bats, kills in hours (lung hemorhage), and has a strain (Reston), found in Reston, Virginia, USA. There is no effective human vaccine, as suggested previousely. It has a transmission rate (human to human) of greater than 50%.

So, having adressed mother nature, what about "Chemical Warfare" ? The U.S.S.R. was known to have dabbled in Ebola, Varient Small Pox and who knows what else.
The U.S. Government has been known to spray a viral areosol over San Fransisco to test aerosol transmission of viruses.
Is there any obstacal, incurrent technology, in Transfer R.N.A. to make possible the manipulation of Avian Flu Viruses ?

Sweet Dreams

how about small pox or bubonic plague?

A bullet travelling very fast in someones direction with the flu virus all over it.

ignorance
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Plasticarditis is a killer.Once it gets a hold there is no stopping it.Its got my Gert bigtime.Just a matter of time now.

Alcohol addiction

Life is the deadliest disease. You live, then you die. It doesn't matter how you die, but you live, and then you die.

I dont know if its the most deadly but they have no cure for the Ebola virus at this time.

Rabies, if someone gets bitten by a rabid dog,

Bird flu must be up there!

Since you specifically state NOT airborne or by skin contact, I would suggest Malaria which still kills millions of people a year.

However, according to a World Health Organization report it's Ischaemic Heart Disease.

Edit: If you are talking in terms of overall deaths - it's IHD. If you mean mortality rate/infection then I think it's Ebola. A vaccine has been proven to be 100 % effective in tests on monkeys, human vaccines haven't reported any significant success.

Ebola is the most deadly disease at this moment in time. There is a very good vaccine for it but there is a very low take up as there is a cost implication.
The biggest killer in recent times was the Spanish flu, this is more commonly now known as bird fly and if the flu virus mutates via a bird we will all be in the **** as there will be time required to work out a vaccine for it.

Complacency, inaction, laziness.
Corporate hospitality, high fashion, television.
Compulsive obsessive vanity.
Conservative politics, the pharmaceutical industry, fossil fuels.

Or is it chewing gum?

Have a star as a vaccine.

Diabetes is one, it can be controlled but not cured. Same with HIV?AIDS. There are medication to control it for awhile but the medications do not cure, you will eventually die from Aids in the long run.
http://express-press-release.com/22/IS%2...
Here's a whole list of treatable but incurable diseases.
http://www.pyroenergen.com/diseases.htm

Bird Flu

not sure about deadliest..but one of the biggest killers is malaria..even in this day & age!!

Staph (Staphylococcal) infection is really bad!!!