Malaria - Biggest Killer

[milly143]

Is it true that of everyone who has ever lived, over half of them have died from malaria?

[heathfield]

Some scientists believe this could be the case, but there's no way of knowing. But there is general agreement that 50% of today's world's population is at risk from malaria.

[dotty.]

Well before it was called malaria it would have been called something else depending on where they were but before written records were kept there was no way of knowing who died of what

[atalanta]

Very strongly doubt it. heard of the Black Death ? It wiped out millions. Smallpox ?
But probably the biggest killer of all time has been dysentery/dire rear.
And yes, I do know the correct spelling, but mine's funnier.

If you count starvation, that probably comes close to the top of the list, too.

[milly143]

hhmmm interesting. It was something I heard on QI but I'm never quite sure of the accuracy on that programme. I often think they just make things up knowing everyone will believe it.

[heathfield]

Sometimes on QI Steven Fry gets it wrong. Alan Davies was penalised for saying the Earth has only one moon. Fry claimed there are two. In fact, there is only one....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3753_Cruithne