Certain animals are known to be voracious and violent. Some of them are also considered massive human-killers.
World's Most Dangerous Human-Killing Animals
While there are certain animals known to be dangerous, not everyone leads to a massive number of human deaths. As per Discover Wildlife, the most human-killing animals, in terms of numbers, are mosquitoes. These creatures may kill 725,000 to 1,000,000 individuals each year.
Interestingly, humans rank second to mosquitoes, as human deaths caused by fellow humans reportedly go as high as 431,000 each year.
There are also other creatures that humans should place under their radar and be sure to avoid in order to not end up as a meal.
Freshwater Snails
While adding creatures may come as a surprise, over 200,000 deaths are attributed to them. This is due to the parasites, or fluke flatworms, that they tend to host. Among the many flukes, one particularly nasty one is what these freshwater snails end up transmitting. These flukes dwell and grow inside the snail and later move to the water.
If these flukes end up penetrating the skin via freshwater, humans end up getting infected. This may lead to the deadly condition known as schistosomiasis, or snail fever. It is considered the second most socioeconomically devastating parasitic condition, only falling behind malaria, as reported by Discover Wildlife.
Saw-scaled Viper
The venomous saw-scaled viper is also a list-topper in terms of danger and human death count. The creature kills up to 138,000 individuals each year.
Generally, snakes are known to be dangerous. These creatures can also be found across the globe and have the capacity to kill humans in various brutal ways, as reported by BBC Science Focus.
The aggressive nature of the saw-scaled viper, coupled with its strong venom and presence in densely populated places, makes these creatures worth fearing.
Assassin Bugs
Assassin bugs are the primary proponents of the spread of the Chagas disease, per the BBC Science Focus. These predators are real threats across South and Central America because of this.
The disease could be fatal. It is transmitted via the bite of an assassin bug or via consumption of something that the insect or its feces ahs infected.
Per Discover Wildlife, these species are also dubbed kissing bugs due to how they tend to bite on sleeping faces.
Scorpions
Like several other creatures, venomous scorpions release their toxins to kill or subdue prey. There are 25 specific scorpion species that are known to have deadly venom.
Scorpion stings tend to take place when humans accidentally step over these creatures or when these scorpions shelter inside shoes. Their stings are a defense mechanism of some sort to prevent themselves from getting smashed.
Roughly 2,600 deaths each year can be attributed to these deadly scorpion stings, USA Today reports. Among the many dangerous species, the most lethal one is the Indian red scorpion.
Ascaris Roundworms
Around 2,500 deaths each year are caused by deadly Ascaris roundworms. These creatures are not just vectors; they are parasites that live on a host and cause harm.
These roundworms can be transmitted when their eggs are accidentally ingested. This typically happens when food or drinks have been contaminated by the feces of humans.
They dwell in the small intestines and capitalize on the human body for their consumption and reproduction. Humans with these parasites may get sick with ascariasis, which is a condition characterized by abdominal pain, fever, swelling, and shortness of breath.
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