A closer look

Nothing mixes better than severe drought and raw, open sewage. During the 1930 St. Louis encephalitis outbreak, perfectly terrible environmental conditions created a breeding paradise for infected Culex mosquitoes. The insects feasted on the city's poorest residents, injecting a virus that triggered rampant, deadly brain inflammation. The entire disaster was essentially a masterclass in how failing infrastructure can weaponize local bugs into an aggressive neurological nightmare.