Cancrum Oris, also called Noma, is a type of gangrenous infection that attacks the faces of sufferers. For extra b*stard points, it's favourite victims are usually children under six. It affects over 100,000 children a year and is basically a result of the dumb old immune system mistaking the face for some kind of deadly disease that must be obliterated. It targets mucus membranes and usually affects the mouth, quickly rotting away the lips and gums, but it can also affect the genitals - just in case it wasn't bad enough already. It was eradicated over 100 years ago in Europe and North America as it can be easily treated with antibiotics, and the after effects can be reversed by surgery. However, where those are unavailable or too expensive, it flourishes. It even had a brief resurgence in the Nazi concentration camps due to the poor conditions and lack of proper treatment (or even encouragement for it in order to study its effect). The mortality rate is a shockingly high 90%, usually due to the fact that you can no longer eat. But the alternative is not much better as, even if you survive, the horrible disfigurement usually leads to the sufferer being shunned from their community. We'll take any kind of horror movie over that, thanks. Love science? Us too. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for all the updates.
