The Top 5 Deadliest Diseases with 100% Fatality Rates: From Laughing Sickness to Fatal Insomnia

2. Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI)

• What It Is: Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI) is a hereditary prion disease that disrupts sleep patterns, ultimately leading to death. It affects the brain and central nervous system, causing progressive neurological deterioration.
• Fatality Rate: 100%.
• Key Symptoms: Chronic insomnia is the hallmark of FFI, accompanied by memory loss, hallucinations, muscle twitching, and eventual loss of motor and cognitive functions.
• How It Works: FFI is caused by a genetic mutation in the PRNP gene, leading to abnormal prion proteins in the brain.
• Duration: The disease progresses relentlessly, with death typically occurring within 12–18 months of symptom onset.
• Rarity: Globally, FFI affects only 50–70 families. Its occurrence is estimated at 1–2 cases per million people.
• Why It’s Deadly: There is no cure or way to slow the progression of FFI. Treatments focus solely on symptom relief, making the disease uniformly fatal.

December 31, 2024 | 6:34 pm