Throughout the course of existence, there have been severe epidemics and pandemics that have ravaged humanity civilizations. Plagues, Cholera, flu, Ebola and several other severe diseases have always been major challenges for humanity, as they have often changed the course of history. While the world lately got confronted with the Covid-19, let’s have a look at the Worst Pandemics in History.
- 10 – THE BLACK DEATH (1346-1353)
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9 – FLU PANDEMIC (1968)
The pandemic of 1968 was one of the deadliest outbreak in human history. According to the CDC, it was caused by an influenza A (H3N2) virus comprised of two genes from an avian influenza A virus. It also included a new H3 hemagglutinin, as well as the N2 neuraminidase from the 1957 H2N2 virus.
The 1968 Flu pandemic is sometimes referred to as “the Hong Kong Flu, as the first case was reported on July 13, 1968, in Hong Kong, before it spread to Singapore, Vietnam, The Philippines, India, Australia, Europe. It was first noted in the United States in September 1968, where it claimed some 100,000 lives. The estimated number of deaths worldwide was 1 million.
8 – SIXTH CHOLERA PANDEMIC 1899–1923
The Sixth Cholera Pandemic was a severe outbreak that originated in India in 1899, before spreading to the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe and Russia. While Western Europe was lightly affected thanks to advances in public health, the Sixth Cholera Pandemic had major impact in Russia and the Ottoman Empire.
The outbreak killed more than 800,000 people in India from 1899 to 1923, over 500,000 people in Russia from 1900 to 1925, 200,000 lives in the Philippines. The Sixth Cholera Pandemic is also considered the source of the last American outbreak of Cholera from 1910 1911.
7 – SPANISH FLU: 1918-1920
The Spanish flu was a deadly influenza outbreak that lasted from January 1918 to December 1920. It is also known as the 1918 flu pandemic.
At least 500 million people were infected by the disease, almost a third of the world’s population at the time.
The estimated death toll worldwide was at least 50 million people killed.
6 – ASIAN FLU: 1957-1958
The Asian flu, which is also known as the 1957–1958 influenza pandemic, was a severe global outbreak of influenza A virus. It originated in the Chinese province of Guizhou, in February 1957, before spreading worldwide.
It was first reported in Singapore in February 1957, Hong Kong in April 1957, and in the United States’ coastal cities in summer 1957. The estimated number of deaths was 1.1 million worldwide and 116,000 in the United States.
5 – AIDS PANDEMIC AND EPIDEMIC: 1981-PRESENT DAY
The acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is an ongoing pandemic that was first reported in 1981. The first AIDS cases were reported in the United States in June 1981.
The number of cases and fatalities increased rapidly during the 1980s, before substantial declining in the late 1990s. The AIDS disease has had a substantial impact on the health and economy of several nations around the globe.
It has claimed an estimated 35 million lives worldwide since it was first identified.
4 – H1N1 SWINE FLU PANDEMIC: 2009-2010
The H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic was the second of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus. The first one was the 1918–1920 Spanish flu pandemic. Also known as 2009 swine flu pandemic, the H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic that lasted from January 2009 to August 2010. It was detected first in the United States, before spreading quickly across the world.
According to the CDC, the virus infected at least 1.4 billion people across the world, with the number of fatalities ranging between 151,700 and 575,400, in just one year.
3 – WEST AFRICAN EBOLA EPIDEMIC: 2014-2016
The Western African Ebola virus epidemic was the most widespread outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in history, with the first case being reported in Guinea. The initial index patient was reported in December 2013. It affected severely Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The disease is believed to have originated from bats.
Small outbreaks were also reported in Nigeria and Mali, while a secondary infection of medical workers occurred in the United States and Spain. As of 8 May 2016, a total of 28,646 suspected cases and 11,323 deaths were reported by the World Health Organization.
The second largest Ebola epidemic was reported in The Democratic Republic of the Congo on 1 August 2018. The outbreak claimed thousands of lives, particularly in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces.
2 – ZIKA VIRUS EPIDEMIC: 2015-PRESENT DAY
The 2015 Zika outbreak was reported in early 2015 in Brazil, before it spread to other parts of South and North America. Zika virus is transmitted mainly by mosquitos. Thought the 2015 started in Brazil, the virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in monkeys. Between 2013 and 2014, outbreaks were reported in four other groups of Pacific islands: French Polynesia, Easter Island, the Cook Islands, and New Caledonia.
The disease still exists in present days, mostly in tropical regions. Indeed, the type of mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus flourish mainly in warm and humid climates.
1 – CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)
Covid-19 is a severe infectious disease that was first identified in late December 2019 in the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan, before it spread across the globe. It has resulted in significant disruptions worldwide. The disease affected over 6,811,869 people worldwide, between December 2019 and early 2023. While uncertainty still dwells over the origin of the Covid-19, cases have been rising worldwide, triggering further concerns and fears around the globe.
Please comply with the recommendations of the WHO and local government authorities to help prevent the Covid-19 disease. Stay safe.
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