Infectious microbes have been the nemesis of the human species long before they were discovered. They have been paralyzing economies, societies and even threatening the very existence of the human species, as well as other species on earth. Modern humans are estimated to first appeared on earth between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago, since there have been countless pandemics that negatively affect us directly and indirectly. Here are the ten deadliest pandemics in modern human history.
What about Covid-19 (The Novel Coronavirus)?
The new coronavirus began to appear in humans in early December 2019. It has been called Covid-19 and is spreading incredibly fast around the world. Due to its novelty, no one in the world has immunity to Covid-19, it was declared a pandemic in March 2020 by the WHO. The outcome of this pandemic is impossible to predict. At the time of writing, the Covid-19 pandemic continues with rising infection and death rates. COVID-19 is spreading faster compared to most pandemics, including HIV and Ebola, as new hot spots emerge. The confirmed death toll reached 4.6 million people. Although the actual number of deaths from COVID-19 is likely greater than the number of confirmed deaths. To date there are 219 million confirmed reported cases.
The 10 deadliest pandemics other than Covid-19:
10. Influenza Pandemic (H2N2 virus): 1957-1958
Also known as “Asian flu,” the outbreak began in East Asia in 1957. The H2N2 strain of the influenza virus triggered one of the world’s deadliest pandemics. Estimates of the death toll from the pandemic vary by source. The estimated death toll is between 1 and 4 million people. However, due to advances in scientific knowledge and technology, the pandemic was quickly stopped to prevent further destruction.
9. 165 A.D.: Antonine Plague.
In 165-180 AD The Roman Empire was brought to its knees by the Antoine who claimed the lives of approximately 5-10 million people. The disease is believed to have been contracted by soldiers returning from West Asia to Rome. On their return trip, in all the places where they had stopped, the disease had a chance to spread. First, in Asia Minor, then in Greece, and finally in Italy. The disease spread through the densely populated cities of Italy. It wreaked havoc across the country. At the height of the outbreak, a whopping 2,000 people died a day. The last nail in the coffin came when disease claimed the life of the ruling emperor Marcus Aurelius.
8. Yellow Fever. (1990- Present).
While yellow fever may not be considered a pandemic, it certainly is. The virus that caused the disease was not identified until 1900. However, no one knows for sure how long it has been plaguing the world. However, scientists believed that the disease had been around for at least 3,000 years. It is estimated that at least 30,000 people die each year from the disease, most of which occur in Africa. However, the good news is that there is a vaccine that has been shown to be very effective in reducing deaths.
7. Malaria: 1880-present.
While malaria existed long before 1880, it was in 1880 that the causative agent of the disease was discovered. Since then it has been an uphill battle to stop the disease. Malaria is a tropical disease, but throughout its history, it has spread to almost every country in the world. Malaria has been a tremendous burden for countries around the world. An estimated $ 3 billion was spent in 2019 just to help control and eliminate the disease. Since 2000, 1.5 billion registered cases of malaria and approximately 7.6 million registered deaths have been reported.
6. Smallpox: Unknown-1980.
The origin of the causative agent of smallpox is unknown to this day, even the first case of smallpox is unknown. However, studies done on Egyptian mummies found that smallpox has been around for at least 3,000 years. Approximately 60 million people in the 18th century died from the disease in Europe alone and approximately 300 million in the 20th century worldwide. Fortunately, in 1977 the disease was eradicated and the WHO declared the world free of smallpox in 1980.
5. HIV/AIDS: 1981-Present.
HIV first gained popularity in the US in the early 1980s. However, the disease is suspected to exist long before the 1980s. Since the start of the pandemic, between 55.9 and 110 million people have been infected with the HIV virus. Unfortunately, HIV has killed more than 36 million people since 1981. No known cure for the disease has been developed, although there are some cases of people who have been declared free from HIV after contracting the disease. However, treatments have been developed that significantly reduce the changes in the disease progressing to AIDS. Scientists have struggled for years to make a vaccine. However, recent advances look promising.
4. 1918 Influenza Pandemic. (Spanish Flu)
Reported for the first time in Spain, the influenza pandemic spread rapidly throughout the world and infected approximately one-third of the world’s population. The pandemic earned its name because the Spanish government was the only one willing to report on it during the First World War. Other countries were reported to have avoided talking about the outbreak numbers of their troops in an effort not to make them appear “weak.” “However, the virus did not spread to any country. Both young and old were victims of the disease. One of the unique characteristics of this pandemic is that the youngest people between 20 and 40 years old are those with the Highest death rate At the end of the pandemic, it was estimated that around 50-100 million people were victims of the disease.
3. 430 B.C.: Plague of Athens.
The oldest pandemic recorded in modern human history. During the Peloponnesian War in 430 BC. C. The war took place in ancient Greece between Athens and Sparta, which were the two most powerful city-states in ancient Greece at that time. The outbreak is believed to have started in sub-Saharan Africa, spread through Egypt, Libya, across the Mediterranean Sea to Persia, and then through Greece. By definition, a pandemic is an outbreak of disease that occurs over a wide geographic range. Around this time, the new world had yet to be discovered. Therefore, the region affected by the outbreak was large.
Some academics estimated that by the end of the pandemic, a staggering one-third to two-thirds of the population had disappeared. At the time, the population was between 200,000 and 300,000. The microbe responsible for the outbreak has not been accepted for sure.
2. 541 A.D.: Justinian Plague.
Directly, one of the worst pandemics in the history of mankind. This plague claimed an estimated 50 million lives, roughly half the world’s population at that time. The sprout got its name from Justinian I or Justinian the Great, who was the Byzantine emperor. Byzantine was the continuation of the Roman Empire that resided in the capital of Constantinople. The disease was contracted on the north and east coasts of the Nile River in Egypt. Through the commercial movement, the disease spread like wildfire through Asia, North Africa, Arabia, and eventually Europe. The outbreak lasted about 4 months in Constantinople, but a staggering 200 years in different regions.
1. The Black Death: 1346-1353.
One of the most iconic pandemics in human history, the Black Death or the Bubonic Plague. The Black Death can be considered a continuation of the Justinian plague. Since it is believed that the microbe responsible for the Justinian plague is very one responsible for The Black Death. The disease possibly started in Asia and eventually made its way through all the nooks and crannies of Europe. The plague caused the catastrophic loss of human life. While there is no single agreement on the number of lives lost, estimates range from 75 million to 200 million deaths.
