http://www.snopes.com/medical/disease/disease.asp

Disease

Although we like to think we have the upper hand on such matters, deadly disease still stalks among us.

Ratings Key

        Green bullet = true
        Red bullet = false
        Multiple status bullet = multiple truth values
        Yellow bullet = undetermined
        White bullet = unclassifiable veracity

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White bullet Anthrax by mail, and otherwise.*

Red bullet The nursery rhyme 'Ring Around the Rosie' is a coded reference to the Black Plague.*

Red bullet Rat urine is toxic to humans (plus discussion of Weil's Disease).*

Red bullet Typhoid Mary caused the deaths of thousands of people.

Red bullet The AIDS virus was created by the CIA.

Multi-colored bullet Administering three simple tests will help diagnose a stroke, and pricking a stroke victim's fingers will prevent further harm from the cerebral attack.

Red bullet Eyebrow waxers at risk of contracting herpes from unsanitary equipment.

Red bullet Bananas imported from Costa Rica are infected with the "flesh-eating disease" known as necrotizing fasciitis.

Red bullet The CA-125 blood test is a reliable method of detecting ovarian cancer in its early stages.

Red bullet Someone is sending sponges carrying a deadly "Klingerman virus" to victims via U.S. Mail.

Red bullet A 2001 study concluded that the London Underground was unspeakably unsanitary.

Green bullet Paget's disease of the nipple is a real (but uncommon) form of breast cancer.

Green bullet E-mail warns about a disease known as Inflammatory Breast Cancer.

Green bullet Your purse may be carrying disease into your home.

Green bullet Embedded ticks can cause paralysis.

Green bullet Some symptoms of a heart attack are subtle and can be mistaken for indigestion.

Red bullet Johns Hopkins Hospital issued a "cancer update" detailing how cancer spreads and recommending methods for treating the disease.

Green bullet Handles of shopping carts are laden with germs.

Red bullet Drinking bleach will kill the AIDS virus.

Red bullet Chihuahuas cure asthma.*

Multi-colored bullet Account of a 10-year-old boy's death explains dry drowning and the symptoms parents of swimmers should stay alert for.

Multi-colored bullet Asparagus has miraculous cancer-fighting properties.

Multi-colored bullet Lemons can kill cancer cells.

Red bullet Coconut oil is an effective treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Red bullet The fruit from the graviola tree is a miraculous natural cancer cell killer.

Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2013 by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson.
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