The largest epidemics in human history

At the end of 2019, the world faced a previously unknown type of coronavirus, which later became the culprit of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the complete lack of immunity in people to the infection that causes the disease, the first cases of which were recorded in China, it has rapidly spread throughout the planet. It took the virus about 3 months to infect over half a million people. In just over a year of the pandemic, more than 116 million people fell ill, of which 2,5 million died.

But no matter how horrific the consequences of COVID-19 may look, in fact, this is far from the first and not the worst epidemic of those that befell humanity in different eras. One of the most recent is SARS and swine flu. However, there were epidemics much worse, which lasted more than one year, radically changing the life of mankind and determining the course of history.

TOP 15 epidemics before COVID-19

Infectious diseases have existed since the Stone Age, during the time of hunters and gatherers. But the transition to a settled way of life gave impetus not only to socio-economic progress, but also created an ideal environment for the development of epidemics. Researchers suggest that it was then that malaria, leprosy, tuberculosis, smallpox, and influenza appeared. And the more civilization developed, the larger cities became and the closer trade relations between different countries, the closer the threat of a pandemic approached humanity.

Epidemic in China (3000 BC)

This is perhaps the oldest epidemic known to historians. It happened about 5 thousand years ago and destroyed an entire prehistoric settlement in northeast China. During excavations in the area, called Hamin Manga, archaeologists discovered the remains of a burnt house, inside which were the skeletons of people of different ages. In the same part of the country, scientists have unearthed another mass grave from about the same era. Researchers suggest that the ancient epidemic developed rapidly, capturing the entire region. However, what exactly killed these people is unknown.

Plague of Athens (430 BC)

The epidemic, which began in the second year of the Peloponnesian War, killed almost 4 thousand people in 100 years, and this, according to various estimates, is from 2/3 to 1/4 of the population of Athens. During the outbreak, the ancient commander Pericles also died.

Although the epidemic is known as the Plague of Athens, it was not actually a plague. Most experts agree that the Athenians were faced with typhus. Although recently there was a version about the Ebola virus that causes hemorrhagic fever. It is believed that the Spartans brought the disease to Athens when they besieged the city. Prior to this, the disease was already in Libya, Ethiopia and Egypt.

Antonine plague (165-189 BC)

Like the epidemic in Athens that hit the Roman Empire, most likely it was not a plague either. The symptoms of the Antonine plague (terrible rash) are associated by most modern specialists with smallpox. It is not known for certain what caused the epidemic in the Roman Empire. But around the same time, a disease with similar symptoms also swept China. The researchers suggest that the Romans could have become infected during a campaign on the lands near the Tigris River. According to another version, representatives of the ancient Germanic tribes, who were infected by the Huns, transmitted the disease to the Romans. By the way, the emperor Marcus Aurelius died precisely from the Antonine plague.

Plague of Justinian (541-560)

It is believed that this is the first historically recorded epidemic of bubonic plague. It got its name in honor of the Byzantine monarch Justinian the First, who, due to an epidemic, had to abandon plans to reunite with the Roman Empire. He also contracted the plague, but survived.

Researchers have no consensus on where the disease came from. Some sources point to Egypt, others to Ethiopia, still others to Central Asia. The pandemic swept the lands of Europe, Asia, North Africa. Outbreaks of the disease with varying strengths arose for another two centuries. According to rough estimates, the disease mowed down from 50 to 90 million people, and this is from 10% to 26% of the then population.

Epidemics in America (XVI-XVII centuries)

The discovery of America was the beginning of a new era on a global scale and the beginning of the end for the indigenous population of the New World. Europeans brought with them to the American continent diseases to which the natives had no immunity. As a result, tens of millions of Indians died from various infections in a relatively short time. According to rough estimates, approximately 90% of the indigenous population died. It is believed that it was the “European” viruses and bacteria that caused the disappearance of the Incas and Aztecs.

Black Death (1346-1353)

Under this name, the second epidemic of bubonic plague went down in history. It is assumed that the focus of infection could be located in Central Asia (according to some assumptions – in the Gobi Desert). Fleas were the main carriers of the disease. It is believed that the pathogen came from Asia to the West along with caravans. The rapid spread across Europe began after the virus reached the ports of Sicily.

The plague quickly spread throughout the world, causing horror with its 100% lethality. Even more fearful was the fact that the mankind of those times did not understand the nature of the disease at all. It was at this time that “plague doctors” appeared, wearing a medical mask with a “beak” and a protective suit. The consequences of the pandemic were terrible: almost 60% of the population of Europe died.

Great Plague of London (1665-1666)

During the epidemic, about 20% of the population of London died (about 100 thousand people). In that year, the European city resembled a huge mass grave. In addition to the dead people, there were mountains of corpses of dead dogs and cats, which were assumed to be carriers of the disease. Another misfortune helped stop the epidemic – a fire that began on September 2, 1666, which destroyed most of the city.

Cholera – the first epidemic (1817-1824)

Until the 150th century, cholera outbreaks were predominantly characteristic of India. But then everything changed dramatically and the dangerous ailment rapidly began to spread to other territories. Over the next 7 years, the world will experience XNUMX cholera pandemics.

According to one version, the cause of the first pandemic was the colonial policy of Britain. The main carriers of the pathogen were the military and sailors. At the same time, developing new lands, the pathogen mutated and the disease acquired new features. During the epidemic, cholera spread throughout Asia, Europe and even reached North America. Millions of people died.

Cholera – the second epidemic (1826-1837)

The second wave of cholera covered mainly the eastern countries. The epidemic grew rapidly: people died in tens of thousands, and in some states – hundreds of thousands. For example, only in Russia at that time more than 200 thousand people died from the disease.

The second cholera pandemic went down in history by the fact that at this time many countries began to introduce severe quarantine restrictions, which, although they slowed down the spread of the disease, soon caused riots and uprisings.

Measles in Fiji (1875)

The causative agent was brought to the island by King Tacombau after visiting Sydney. The virus spread very quickly throughout Fiji. Soon the island was strewn with corpses: entire villages were dying out. In total, during the epidemic, about 40 thousand people died – one in three residents of Fiji.

Third plague (1855)

Researchers have no consensus on when the third epidemic of bubonic plague began. According to one version – in 1855 in China. Other experts believe that the real epidemic began 40 years later. During the third wave of bubonic plague in China, India, Hong Kong, approximately 15 million people died. The worst epidemiological situation was in India.

Russian flu (1889-1890)

It is believed that it was in 1889 that humanity first encountered a large-scale influenza epidemic. The first outbreaks of the disease were recorded in Siberia and Kazakhstan. Then the causative agent of influenza reached St. Petersburg. Soon there were infected in Finland, Poland, after which the epidemic quickly spread throughout Europe. By 1890, patients with Russian flu were already in North America and Africa. About 360 thousand people died during the year.

Spanish flu (1918)

To date, this is the largest epidemic in human history. Over 3 years, more than 1,5 billion people were infected, that is, every third inhabitant of the planet. According to various sources, the death toll is estimated at 20-40 to 100 million people. By the way, contrary to popular belief, the “Spanish flu” did not originate in Spain at all. The first cases of infection were in the United States, and Spain was only the first in the world to announce a mass infection.

The rapid spread of the disease was facilitated by the war and the emergence of transport links between countries. The situation was further worsened by non-compliance with preventive measures and very poor knowledge about the nature of viruses. The epidemic subsided in the summer of 1919, when most of those infected either died or developed immunity to the virus.

Asian and Hong Kong influenza (1957 and 1968)

Both diseases were caused by mutated viruses that previously circulated only among birds. Approximately 2 million people died during the first epidemic. The second took the lives of almost 1 million inhabitants of the planet.

Swine flu (2009)

The pandemic was caused by a new strain of influenza that emerged in Mexico in the spring of 2009. During the year, swine flu fell ill with almost one and a half billion people on the planet. According to various sources, from 151 to more than 575 thousand people died from the disease. The disease primarily affected children and young people. 8 out of 10 deaths were in patients under 65 years of age.

In its history, humanity has already experienced 3 plague pandemics, 7 cholera pandemics, several waves of mass infection with typhoid and smallpox, at least 6 influenza pandemics. We live in a world where the HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis pandemics remain active. And now COVID-19 has been added to this list. History is cyclical. And recent events are another confirmation of this. And to be able to withstand the current pandemic, it is important to remember the lessons of the past.

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