3. Kuru Disease

Did you ever think it could be possible to actually die from laughter? Neither did I, but the horrific Kuru disease makes this terrifying prospect a reality. Kuru is a neurological disease that infects the brain and causes the afflicted person to laugh uncontrollably, despite a feeling of depression. Someone infected with Kuru will also suffer from constant shakes, joint spasms and will eventually lose the ability to control their own body.

The disease is fatal and there is no known cure of treatment. The worst part of this disease is the way it is passed on; a human can only contract Kuru by eating the brain of another human infected with the disease. Tribal regions of Papa New Guinea are the only known areas where the disease is present, due to the tribe’s tradition of eating their relatives once they die.