Buzz
Getting sick is never fun. Exhausting diseases sap your energy and cause all sorts of unpleasant bodily fluids to escape. If left unchecked, these ailments could wipe out an entire population. While that sounds bad, fictional plagues can be even worse.
Authors have come up with an endless variety of bizarre plagues throughout storytelling. While the shocking symptoms are designed for impact, what’s truly terrifying is how believable these illnesses sound. Often inspired by real-life diseases, these fictional viruses gain a sense of authenticity that may make you wonder if they could actually occur. After witnessing such convincing outbreaks on screen, you might start worrying whether catching a cold is a dangerous gamble.
10. Red Flu
The Last Ship (2014–2018) might seem like a simple naval action series, but at its core, it's about a global epidemic. Known as the 'Red Flu' by some, this illness originates from a long-dormant plant virus hidden deep in the Arctic. It spreads through contact, but even the air can carry the virus. Once you're infected, you endure severe fever and fatigue. Then, disturbing lesions appear across your body as your system shuts down. The disease moves with terrifying speed and precision.
The virus’s destructive power enables it to decimate much of the planet, causing governments to collapse effortlessly and leaving global chaos in its wake. While this is already catastrophic, the real horror lies in what it does to those who survive. In the aftermath, a number of cult-like leaders exploit the disaster, presenting themselves as saviors while seizing power. While the sailors of the navy find solidarity in these dire times, the scale of the disaster also brings out humanity's worst tendencies.
9. Vampirism
It’s well-known that vampires possess the ability to bite humans and turn them into other vampires. This is a concept explored in books like Bram Stoker’s *Dracula* and Anne Rice’s *Interview with the Vampire*, as well as in TV series such as *True Blood* and *Buffy the Vampire Slayer*. However, *The Strain* (2014–2017) provides a different take, approaching the transformation through a scientific lens. Rather than relying on fangs, the vampire employs a tendril that shoots from its mouth and attaches to its victim, using it both to drain blood and fulfill another, darker purpose.
When these vampires feed, they inject parasitic, worm-like organisms into their victim's body. These parasites gradually alter the victim’s organs, transforming them into hairless, hollowed-out shells. Their only function is to serve the vampires' higher masters. Beginning in New York City, this biological weaponry spreads, crippling the city and ultimately affecting the entire country. These vampires are a far cry from the glamorous, sparkling versions commonly depicted in modern media.
8. MEV-1
It’s clear even without a medical degree that a film titled *Contagion* (2011) is about a plague. The disease at the heart of the story is MEV-1, a virus that originates in fruit bats and pigs before jumping to humans. Once it crosses into people, transmission becomes alarmingly easy, spread through close contact including sweat, saliva, and breath. The symptoms are brutal: fever, fatigue, difficulty breathing, and seizures. Within just a few days, those infected perish, and the virus spreads rapidly across the globe, devastating nations.
The outbreak wreaks havoc on the population. Many die before they even realize what’s happening, while the survivors crowd hospitals, makeshift shelters, and filthy streets. Though MEV-1 doesn’t quite bring about the end of civilization, it creates a sense of desperation among both medical professionals and ordinary people. No one has a clear solution to contain the disease or develop a cure. Even after doctors manage to create a vaccine, they must figure out how to distribute it, which brings its own set of challenges. The film’s grounding in uncomfortable realism makes it even more chilling.
7. Cordyceps
While *The Strain* gives a medical twist to the vampire myth, *The Last of Us* (2023–) does the same for zombies. This post-apocalyptic story focuses on the Cordyceps fungus, which mutates and adapts in ways never seen before. It eventually evolves to infect humans. The infection starts in the brain, gradually transforming its victims into mindless, savage creatures covered in fungal growths. The primary instinct of these infected is to kill, and their bites spread the disease. But the real danger comes from spores released by the dead, which are even more potent when inhaled. Humanity stands little chance against it.
Unsurprisingly, this mutated form of Cordyceps wipes out most of humanity. Faced with an enemy that science can't counter, people are left with no choice but to fight in a more primal way. The desperation leads to fractured relationships, with friends and family turning on each other. In order to survive, characters are forced to make horrific choices, even having to kill those they care about to prevent becoming infected themselves. These brutal decisions isolate individuals, but survival demands them.
6. Catriona Plague
World-hopping might sound like an exciting adventure, but it carries a severe risk to those around. Travelers can inadvertently bring foreign elements into an ecosystem, disrupting its delicate balance. This is the mistake Ciri makes in *The Witcher* series (2019– ). As she travels between worlds, she ends up in a port suffering from the bubonic plague, specifically the Black Death. The townspeople endure fevers, aches, swelling, and extreme fatigue. When a pest from this cursed land attaches to Ciri’s clothing, she unknowingly brings it back to her world, setting the stage for catastrophe.
The pest then infects a rat aboard a ship bound for Ciri’s homeland, and the deadly disease quickly spreads across the Continent. The inhabitants of this medieval fantasy world lack the necessary knowledge or resources to stop the plague. Though the disease is rooted in history, its mutation in a world filled with Elves, Dwarves, and magic raises uncertainty about its potential lethality. The plague soon overwhelms hospitals, leaving countless dead and dying. The devastation caused by the “Catriona Plague” rivals the losses of the previous war.
5. Heart Virus
This illness stands out from the others, as it affects only one person. While this may seem less dire, it’s far from a mild experience for the victim. Goku, the central hero of *Dragon Ball*, contracts this strange heart virus shortly after his return from space. The illness brings with it the usual symptoms of fever and fatigue, but it also causes excruciating pain. Not only is he incapable of fighting, but he is unable to even get out of bed, despite having received the cure.
The virus alone is enough to bring about his end. In a post-apocalyptic future, this is exactly what happens. For context, Goku is one of the strongest fighters in the universe. He has endured some of the most devastating attacks imaginable, yet this virus incapacitates him completely. Ordinary people would have no chance against such a deadly illness.
4. Simian Flu (ALZ-112)
The best intentions can lead to disastrous outcomes. The Simian Flu is created as a potential cure for Alzheimer’s. Dr. Rodman develops it to stimulate brain function, testing it on chimpanzees. When a chimp unexpectedly gives birth, her offspring displays remarkable intelligence. This young chimp, named Caesar, soon becomes a victim of human cruelty. Seeking revenge, Caesar releases an airborne version of the serum, which enhances the intelligence of his fellow apes. What no one anticipates is its impact on humans.
The serum shifts the balance of power, starting with the fall of humanity from its place atop the food chain, setting the stage for the modern *Planet of the Apes* series. The first strain causes victims to cough up blood, eventually leading to death. This wipes out most of the human population and disrupts global power structures. Some survivors appear to be immune, but the virus continues to evolve. Eventually, humans lose all cognitive abilities, including speech. The once-dominant species spirals downward, while the apes rise to control the remnants of humanity. The tables have turned.
3. Infertility Epidemic
Some of the most straightforward challenges are often the hardest to overcome. The film Children of Men (2006) offers a vivid demonstration of this reality. The Infertility Epidemic does precisely what the name implies—it renders humanity infertile. While the origins of the disease are never explicitly revealed, the narrative explores its terrifying consequences in depth.
The very fabric of society unravels as a result of this singular crisis. Extremist groups stir their followers to violent action, while governments implement oppressive regimes to assert control. Meanwhile, the general populace succumbs to despair. Humans, like all living beings, are driven by the instinct to reproduce. Stripping them of this primal urge not only robs them of meaning but also condemns the species to extinction. This makes the epidemic far deadlier than any other.
2. Geostigma
As foreign entities, aliens present a clear risk of contaminating humanity. Few extraterrestrial beings are as sinister as Jenova. This alien creature arrives before the events of Final Fantasy VII, and after enduring horrific experimentation, her dismembered remains are cast into the Lifestream, a mystical force that flows through the planet and its inhabitants. The grotesque fusion of her essence with the Lifestream leads to disastrous outcomes in the future.
Advent Children (2005), the film continuation of FFVII, brings Geostigma to the forefront. This disease emerges from the corrupted Lifestream, infecting the planet's countless inhabitants. Alien matter infiltrates their bodies, triggering an overreaction from their immune systems. However, the body's excessive defense causes it to collapse. Victims develop painful sores, expel black fluid, and ultimately die. Although Geostigma can strike anyone, it is particularly devastating to children, whose frail constitutions are more susceptible. Another illness, of course, causes far more destruction in this regard.
1. Greyscale
Greyscale is a rare and challenging dermatological condition that’s difficult to both acquire and treat. Introduced in A Song of Ice and Fire, it spreads only through direct contact. On the surface, this seems simple enough to avoid. However, when surrounded by infected people, evading them becomes far more complicated. The best course of action is to steer clear of areas where these infected beings gather—staying out of their way is crucial for survival.
Greyscale is synonymous with relentless suffering. While not usually fatal, it causes severe deformities in children as they grow. For adults, the scales spread across the skin, slowly driving the person to madness. Though there is one possible treatment, it brings more agony: the removal of the scales through carving and peeling. This procedure is excruciating, almost like being skinned alive. The pain and suffering make Greyscale even more dangerous than the events of Game of Thrones itself.
