MERS, also known as MERS-CoV, or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, is a virus transferred to humans from infected animals -- in this case, dromedary camels, the ones with one hump. MedicalNewsToday reports that MERS-CoV was first discovered in Saudi Arabia September 20, 2012.
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The CDC said there are four different kinds of dengue viruses, and so some people may get the disease up to four times in their lifetime if they're unlucky. While generally considered a mild condition, people do die from dengue. About 400 million are infected with dengue every year.
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Hart Island has been host prisoners of war, quarantined city dwellers, convicts, the mentally ill, and more. And, almost always, it has been set aside for the burial of New York City's indigent and unclaimed dead. This is the messed up history of New York's Hart Island.
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Ebola is a pretty nasty disease. The virus can cause symptoms that you'd expect to see in a horror film. The more mild symptoms include fever, body aches, fatigue, and intense vomiting and diarrhea. The more extreme cases include kidney and liver impairment.
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Yellow fever has a history of plaguing humans for centuries. While today a vaccine can protect us, it had a history of affecting Panama Canal construction.
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The CDC cites statistics from the World Health Organization: "in 2018, 228 million clinical cases of malaria occurred, and 405,000 people died of malaria, most of them children in Africa" with underdeveloped immune systems. It is fatal if not treated.
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The Kent State massacre was the killing of four and wounding of nine students at Kent State in Ohio on May 4, 1970 by National Guardsmen. Student protests had emerged on campus over conflict in Vietnam and Cambodia, and the Ohio National Guard shot unarmed students in the process.
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Disco culture emerged from underground house parties which showcased the music of Black, LGBT, and Latino cultures in the early 1970s. The history of disco is full of tragedy, from Freddie Mercury's death, to the shuttering of Studio 54, and the riots of Disco Demolition Night.
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The Book of Enoch is part of the Bible in some Christian churches. But that doesn't mean it's not still full of weird stuff, like strange primordial beings, talking babies, stars with human downstairs parts, a corpse giving birth, and way more. Here are some messed up stories from the Book of Enoch.
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Like much of American history, the story of the Louisiana Purchase is much darker and more complicated than what's taught in schools. It paved the way for the oppression of Native Americans, the expansion of slavery, and even the Civil War. This is the messed up truth about the Louisiana Purchase.
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Picasso was mainly a painter, dabbling in sculpture and other media, and he certainly didn't lead a boring life. Here's the messed up truth about Pablo Picasso.
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Reconstruction after the Civil War was an attempt to reconstruct everything about Southern life and politics. But after an auspicious start, Reconstruction slowly collapsed under the weight of political reality and short-sighted decisions. Here's the messed-up truth about the Reconstruction era.
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Like all wars, the Iraq War was filled with heroes, villains, and mistakes both harrying and hilarious. These are some messed up things that happened during the Iraq War.
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Gone with the Wind presents a sentimental view of the old South—and slavery. It's impossible to ignore the messed up truth about Gone with the Wind—truths that include overt racism, love affairs, protests, and one of the most chaotic and poorly-run film productions in history.
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The Montgomery bus boycott is often hailed as the opening act of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. But the version you're taught in school leaves out the heroic efforts of multiple people who worked tirelessly towards desegregation. This is the messed up truth about the Montgomery bus boycott.
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Starfleet boldly goes where no one has gone before, but the Ferengi boldly sell what no one has sold before. The money-grubbing, somewhat-laughable Star Trek villains have been around for a while, but if you stop and think about it, the Ferengi are pretty messed up.
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The Tiananmen Square massacre was a horrific event wherein the government slaughtered thousands of protesting individuals in cold blood. In mainland China, information regarding this mass murder has been suppressed for decades. This is the messed up truth about the Tiananmen Square massacre.
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Magicians are, by their very nature, big fat liars. That's their whole job -- to confuse the senses and mystify their audience. Their tricks (no, Michael, illusions!) are a series of artistically constructed con jobs designed to make you, the viewer, go "wha?"
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Winston Churchill is known for WWII, his finest hour. But Churchill also had more than his share of less-than-fine hours. His life was stuffed to the brim with actions, views, and personal habits that were, to put it mildly, problematic. This is the messed up truth about Winston Churchill.
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Some dark and disturbing stuff happened during the Texas Revolution, events that are less "remember the Alamo!" and more "what the heck, Texas?"
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Snow White is a Disney movie that's inspired by a seriously dark story, courtesy of the Brothers Grimm. So if you want the grisly details, here are the messed up origins of the classic Disney film.
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Once or twice in a generation, a hero comes along. And not one of them holds a candle to the legacy of Lytle S. Adams, the World War II-era dentist who tried to avenge the attack on Pearl Harbor by giving hand grenades to bats.
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There's a reason that Hetty Green is called the “Witch of Wall Street.” A real-life Scrooge, Green got ridiculously rich and infuriated people with her stingy ways. From her ruthless business skills to her crazy personal life, here’s why she’s known as America’s greatest miser.
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In 2018, the AV Club published the scrumptious headline, "The young Pope John XII died as he lived: Fornicating." It simultaneously raises eyebrows and stokes lowbrow thoughts, thoughts that might normally make a pious man feel guilty as sin. Luckily, it's hard to sin as much as Pope John XII.
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It's easy to forget that many saints were flesh and blood people. And sometimes, they faced real dangers when it came to their faith. And sometimes, they were the dangers. From horrific martyrdoms to bizarre lifestyle choices, here's the messed up and tragic truth about these Christian saints.
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By the 19th century women were sick of being second-class citizens who were expected to do whatever their husbands told them. But change was going to require some loud, attention-getting stuff, and some people might even have to die. Here's the messed up truth about the women's suffrage movement.
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Margaret Thatcher was the Iron Lady who ran Britain from 1979 to 1990, a period in which she defined a generation. On the world stage, she was renowned, but examine her closer and you'll see her career was a litany of disastrous choices. This is the messed up truth about Margaret Thatcher.
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