There isn't one single "disease with no survival rate," but rather diseases that are almost universally fatal once symptoms appear, like untreated rabies, prion diseases (e.g., Creutzfeldt-Jakob), and some stages of certain cancers (like advanced pancreatic cancer), or terminal illnesses (like late-stage dementia or Huntington's disease) where death is inevitable, though they might have palliative care. The term "no survival rate" usually refers to conditions with a 100% case fatality rate (CFR) or terminal illnesses with no cure.
cancer. dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. advanced lung, heart, kidney and liver disease. stroke and other neurological diseases, including motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis.
Includes Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease and all its variants, fatal insomnia, kuru, Gerstmann–Sträussler–Scheinker syndrome, Variably protease-sensitive prionopathy and others. No cases of survival, invariably fatal.
Medical professionals call high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, the silent killer because it can go undetected for a long period of time and leads to death. Most people who have high blood pressure do not have any symptoms; testing is the only way to determine if someone has it.
Number of deaths for leading causes of death. Heart disease: 680,981. Cancer: 613,352. Accidents (unintentional injuries): 222,698. Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 162,639.
Medical conditions that still remain incurable
Necrotizing Fasciitis
This is a very dangerous bacterial skin infection that can kill the victim within a short period of time. It is popularly known as flesh eating bug because of its ability to speedily spread through the body and kill the body's soft tissue.
After Huntington's disease starts, a person's ability to function gradually gets worse over time. How quickly the disease gets worse and how long it takes varies. The time from the first symptoms to death is often about 10 to 30 years.
Often referred to as the “silent killer” because it may show no symptoms, high blood pressure puts you at an increased risk for heart disease, heart failure, and stroke, among other things.
7 Diseases That Can Be Asymptomatic
Kuru is a rare, incurable, and fatal neurodegenerative disorder that was formerly common among the Fore people of Papua New Guinea. It is a prion disease which leads to tremors and loss of coordination from neurodegeneration.
The plague that killed up to 75% of the population in some areas was the Black Death, a devastating pandemic (1346–1353) caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which wiped out huge portions of Europe, Asia, and Africa, with some cities losing as many as three-quarters of their inhabitants in mere days.
Huntington disease is an inherited, neurodegenerative disorder. If a parent has the condition, each child will have a 50% chance of developing the disease.
Abstract. The six killer diseases, malaria, tuberculosis, measles, acute lower respiratory infections, diphtheria, and whooping cough, represent the most significant contributors to the overall global burden of disease.
1. Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Hypertension, often nicknamed the “silent killer,” is one of the most common health problems worldwide, affecting over 1.4 billion adults in 2024 alone.
If left untreated, a blood pressure of 180/120 or higher results in an 80% chance of death within one year, with an average survival rate of ten months. Any blood pressure reading in this category is considered serious, and should be evaluated by a health care provider.
During the test, both you and the health care professional should be quiet. Talking can raise blood pressure even if you're not discussing something that's obviously stressful. Talking also stimulates the brain, Nesbitt said.
History's Most Terrifying Diseases Explained
The number one killer in the world is cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, responsible for about one-third of all global deaths, claiming nearly 18-20 million lives annually, and remains the leading cause across all regions, according to WHO and World Heart Federation. While COVID-19 caused significant deaths in recent years, CVD has consistently held the top spot for decades, with increases seen globally, especially in younger populations.
Coronary artery disease is the most common cause of sudden cardiac death. An abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia) most often causes sudden cardiac death in people younger than 35.
Both septicemic plague (blood infection) and pneumonic plague (lung infection) had a nearly 100% death rate if left untreated, with pneumonic plague being the most contagious form, spreading through airborne droplets and being rapidly fatal. Untreated bubonic plague (swollen lymph nodes) could also develop into these deadly forms, leading to high mortality.
Globally, Ischaemic Heart Disease (Coronary Artery Disease) remains the world's biggest killer, but regionally, Dementia (including Alzheimer's) has recently become the leading cause of death in countries like Australia, surpassing heart disease for females and overall, while heart disease leads for males. Other top causes globally include stroke, respiratory infections, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Tuberculosis is the deadliest infectious disease in the world. Why is it so dangerous, and what are the symptoms? A stubborn cough can be a sign of tuberculosis or TB. Tuberculosis is still around, and cases have been on the rise in recent years in Colorado and around the U.S. Photo: Getty Images.