First Documented: 1882

Illness Caused: Tuberculosis

Antibiotic Resistance: Medium

Virulence: Deadly

Tuberculosis has been know by many names including scrofula and the White Plague and has been a huge cause of death and distraction throughout history, with evidence found in bodies estimated to be around 9,000 years old. It is believed that Nefertiti and her Pharaoh husband Akhenaten both died from tuberculosis in around 1330 BC, and documents remain from ancient Egypt that talk of the dangers of the disease. While instances of the disease reduced to only 5,000 a year in the UK in 1987, the increase in antibiotic resistance has seen a rise in cases in the early 90s.