18 Pandemics We Survived

Throughout history, there have been frightening periods when Infectious diseases made their way around the world. Here is a list of 18 Pandemics We Survived.

1. Antonine Plague – 165 – 180

This pandemic was believed to be either Smallpox or measles and it lasted from 165 to 180. As a result, it claimed about 5 million lives during the time.

2. Plague of Justinian – 541 – 542

The outbreak caused 30 million to 50 million deaths in the space of one year. It was caused by the Yersinia Pestis bacteria hosted by rats or fleas.

3. Japanese Smallpox Epidemic – 735 – 737

Japanese Smallpox was caused by the Variola major virus. It led to about 1 million deaths.

4. Black Death (Bubonic Plague) – 1347 – 1351

This disease originated in Asia and spread throughout Europe claiming about 200 million lives. It was caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria hosted by rats.

5. Smallpox – 1520

Smallpox led to about 56 million deaths which were caused by the Variola major virus. Eventually, vaccinations contributed to the global eradication of smallpox.

6. 17^th and 18^th Century Great Plagues – 1600 – 1700

These two centuries experienced a series of “Great Plagues” that periodically devastated cities across Europe. Eventually, it was discovered that it was caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria. However, it led to 3.6 million deaths.

7. Cholera 1-6 Outbreaks – 1817 – 1923

These 6 outbreaks of Cholera were caused by the V. cholera bacteria which eventually led to over 1 million deaths.

8. The Third Plague – 1855

About 12 million people died due to this pandemic that originated in China and spread through India which was caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria.

9. Yellow Fever – Late 1800s

This was caused by a virus hosted by a mosquito species named Aedes aegypti. Subsequently, it led to between 100-150 thousand deaths.

10. Russian Flu – 1889-1890

This Flu was caused by the H2N2 virus and claimed over 1 million lives.

11. Spanish Flu – 1918 – 1919

This Flu was caused by the H1N1 virus hosted by pigs and it led to between 40 – 50 million deaths.

12. Asian Flu – 1957 – 1958

About 1.1 million people died due to this pandemic which was caused by the H2N2 virus.

13. Hong Kong Flu – 1968-1970

This outbreak of influenza was caused by the H3N2 virus which originated in China and caused an estimate of 1 million deaths.

14. HIV/AIDS – 1981 – Present

HIV and Aids pandemic was first detected in American gay communities. Consequently, it led to over 65 million infections and 25 million deaths.

15. SARS – 2002 – 2003

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) originated in China and quickly spread to other Asian countries, the UK and Canada. Bats hosted the coronavirus. As a result, the pandemic led to about 8,098 infections and 770 deaths. Eventually, the disease was controlled by isolating people and conducting a screening of travelling passengers from affected countries.

16. Swine Flu – 2009 – 2010

The virus was first discovered in Mexico and was caused by the H1N1 virus. Swine flu spread rapidly from country to country killing 200 thousand people.

17. Ebola – 2013 – 2016

The Ebola Virus was side spread in West Africa and led to about 11 thousand deaths. However, there were about 17 thousand survivors of the disease.

18. Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) – 2019 – present

This outbreak of the Coronavirus originated in China. It has infected over 168 thousand people and killed about 6.6 thousand as of 16^th March 2020 according to WHO.

Which of these 18 Pandemics we survived surprised you the most? Are you one of those who think the world is ending? Read about that here

If you want to know if your job will be affected during this pandemic, read our article here.

To learn tips on prevention, read this article here.

To join a free healthcare plan for West Africa, click here.

Story by Ufuoma Uvomata / Image credit: commons.wikimedia.org