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Mankind has come a long way in adapting and conquering the environment. But did you know that there have been times when events tried to wipe us off the planet? Despite devastating pandemics, natural disasters, and even wars, Mankind still stands and will continue to do so.
Speaking of pandemics, our advancements in the medical field have gone a long way in helping us against such outbreaks. An example is the worldwide response to the recent Coronavirus outbreak. Although it took a heavy toll on lives and living, we survived and even developed a vaccine.
COVID-19 is not the only pandemic that hit the world hard. Several other outbreaks once threatened the world, and they are well documented. While epidemics and pandemics pose a threat to lives, the two are not the same in terms of scale.
A pandemic refers to a disease or outbreak that spreads across countries to affect the whole world, while epidemics are equally deadly but occur on a smaller scale affecting one or more countries or continents. Once an epidemic spreads to the rest of the world, it becomes a pandemic.
Now that we have established a difference between the two terms, here are six devastating pandemics that threatened the world.
Third Plague Pandemic
Yersinia pestis. By António Plácido da Costa (1848-1916) – FERRAZ, Amélia Ricon (2008). “Ricardo de Almeida Jorge: Médico e Humanista Portuense, Higienista Intemporal”. Arquivos de Medicina, 22(2-3), 91-100., Public Domain
Year(s): 1855–1960
Disease: Bubonic Plague
Region of Origination: Yunnan, China
Death Toll: 12–15 million lives
Firstly, what is a bubonic plague? The bubonic plague is one of the most common epidemics in humans. It spreads through the bite of fleas infected by feeding on the blood of contaminated Black rats and attacks the lymph nodes, causing them to swell into buboes.
The Third Plague Pandemic started in Yunnan, China, and took a heavy toll on lives. It killed up to ten million people in India, two million in China, and about three million in other parts of the world during its prevalence.
Treatment for this epidemic included the three “I’s”, which are Isolation, Incineration, and Inoculation. The latter remains the most successful and effective of the three. While there is no approved vaccine for the plague, research is still ongoing to make one.
In the meantime, taking the necessary precautions to prevent fleas, both in the environment and on pets, is currently the best way to avoid the bubonic plague from hitting again.
Great Influenza Pandemic (Spanish Flu)
Red Cross workers make anti-influenza masks for soldiers. Source: National Archives
Year(s): 1918–1920
Disease: Influenza A/H1N1
Region of Origination: Kansas, United States
Death Toll: 17–100 million (estimate)
Commonly known as the Spanish Flu, this pandemic remains the one that claimed the most lives in history. The Spanish Flu was caused by a subtype of the Influenza A virus- H1N1. Despite its common name, the disease was first reported in the United States.
Influenza-type diseases generally kill both children and old people, with youths and middle-aged folks standing a better chance. Interestingly, The Great Influenza Pandemic had a higher mortality rate among the youth and middle-aged folks, adding another layer to its deadliness.
Efforts taken to combat the disease are strikingly similar to how the world handled COVID-19 in 2020. Governments banned public gatherings, closed down schools and stores, and encouraged the use of face masks. In the absence of a vaccine, people had to isolate and maintain social distancing to curb the rate of infections. These measures helped cut the spread by about 50% when implemented at the right time.
Fortunately, the world got a vaccine that worked against the Spanish Flu. However, records remain to make sure that we do not forget the deadliest plague to ever hit the world- The Great Influenza Pandemic.
1957–1958 Influenza Pandemic
Cybercobra at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Year(s): 1957-1958
Disease: Influenza A Virus Subtype H2N2
Region of Origination: Guizhou, Southern China
Death Toll: 1-4 million lives
Like other pandemics in history, the 1957-1958 Influenza Pandemic started as an epidemic. The first recorded cases occurred in Guizhou, Southern China, before spreading to Yunnan sometime between late February and early March 1957.
The symptoms were similar to other influenza-related diseases. They included body aches, fever, loss of appetite, cough, and chills. With a lessened urge to eat, the body lacks the necessary fuel for energy, which leads to general body weakness.
By the time the epidemic started, the World Health Organization had already established the Global Influenza Surveillance Network. The network made it easy for countries to collaborate to combat such epidemics. But, China was not yet a part of the World Health Organization in 1957. Unfortunately, this prolonged the time it took for WHO to get reports of the epidemic and, as such, begin the necessary processes to fight it.
Eventually, WHO got reports of the 1957–1958 Influenza outbreak and finally swung into action. Although the epidemic already got to Hong Kong and Singapore by this time, steps to handle its spread moved along quickly.
The 1957–1958 Influenza was later generally called Asian Influenza. It was a bit mild, with a higher mortality rate among elderly folks. Fortunately, a vaccine was developed and distributed worldwide to combat the disease.
HIV/AIDS Pandemic
HIV virus. Source: National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
Year(s): 1981-Present
Disease: HIV/AIDS
Region of Origination: Central and West Africa
Death Toll: 43 million lives (As of 2024)
This is most likely the second most popular pandemic on this list after COVID-19. The disease starts with an infection by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which targets the body’s immune system. If not suppressed by antiretroviral therapy medications, the infection takes over and shuts down the immune system, causing Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). AIDS means the immune system has been compromised, giving way for other infections and cancers to make an easy entry.
The first HIV/AIDS report came in 1959 after a blood sample from a Congolese man showed the presence of the virus. However, humans got the virus from non-human primates. Today, the disease remains global, and thanks to countless campaigns, people now understand it better.
While HIV/AIDS has no cure as of 2024, several antiretroviral therapy medications help suppress the virus in the body. Many people with HIV still lead healthy lives and even start families, thanks to the numerous treatments available. However, once infected, one has to live with it for the rest of their lives.
HIV/AIDS is yet to have a vaccine.
COVID-19 Pandemic
Image of COVID-19 virus. Source: World Health Organization
Year(s): 2019-Present
Disease: COVID-19
Region of Origination: Wuhan, China
Death Toll: 7–35 million lives (As of 2024)
COVID-19 is the latest pandemic affecting the world. Also known as the coronavirus pandemic, the disease is caused by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2). It spreads through airborne particles, with symptoms ranging from fevers and weakness to sore throat and nocturnal cough.
The first case occurred in Wuhan, China, sometime in December 2019 before breaking out into other parts of Asia. By early 2020, COVID-19 had hit the world, taking lives and heavily disrupting the social and economic sectors. The pandemic was so severe that it led to a global recession so serious that the world has not seen its like since the Great Depression.
Countries underwent total lockdowns, banning travel and public activities and urging people to sit at home. Face masks became popular as they help decrease the chances of the virus making it into the body. Everyone started washing hands regularly and adopted the practice of elbow touch as a form of handshake. Eventually, research yielded the much-needed vaccines. Despite the rollout of these vaccines worldwide, new strains of the virus continue to surface to date.
Cases of infected persons rose as high as more than 777 million, and the death toll already got to 34 million as of 2024. COVID-19 remains one of the deadliest pandemics to date.
