In history, there were various threats to humans posed by nature. They were natural and humans had nothing to with it. Actually, humans are to be blamed. They harm nature in so many ways like deforestation, dumping wastes in oceans, poaching, land degradation, etc. maybe the threats were the outcome of the end of tolerance of nature. But, there were other threats that humans brought upon themselves. Though, nature has warned humans through natural calamities, they didn’t stop harming it. Along with harming it, they are harming themselves in one or the other ways like war, polluting the air, water, soil, etc.
12 Pandemics That Shook The World
1. The Black Death (1347-1351)
One of the deadliest pandemics in human history, the Black Death, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, killed an estimated 25 million people in Europe alone, wiping out one-third of the continent’s population.
2. Spanish Flu (1918-1919)
The Spanish flu pandemic, caused by the H1N1 influenza virus, infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide, roughly one-third of the global population at the time. It resulted in an estimated 50 million deaths worldwide.
3. Asian Flu (1957-1958)
The Asian flu pandemic was caused by the H2N2 influenza virus. It originated in East Asia and spread worldwide, resulting in an estimated 1-2 million deaths globally.
4. Hong Kong Flu (1968-1969)
The Hong Kong flu pandemic, caused by the H3N2 influenza virus, originated in Hong Kong and spread globally. It resulted in an estimated 1-4 million deaths worldwide.
5. HIV/AIDS pandemic (1980s-present)
HIV/AIDS, caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), has been a global pandemic since the 1980s. It has caused an estimated 36 million deaths worldwide since the beginning of the epidemic.
6. H1N1 Influenza Pandemic (2009-2010)
The H1N1 influenza pandemic, also known as swine flu, was caused by a novel influenza A virus. It spread rapidly around the world, resulting in an estimated 151,700-575,400 deaths globally.
7. COVID-19 Pandemic (2019-present)
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, emerged in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, and quickly spread globally. It has resulted in millions of deaths worldwide and has had profound social, economic, and political impacts globally.
8. Justinian Plague (541-542 AD)
The Justinian Plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, ravaged the Eastern Roman Empire during the reign of Emperor Justinian I. It is estimated to have killed between 25 to 50 million people, contributing to the decline of the Byzantine Empire.
9. Third Cholera Pandemic (1852-1860)
The third cholera pandemic originated in India and spread to other parts of Asia, Europe, North America, and Africa. Cholera, caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, claimed hundreds of thousands of lives during this pandemic.
10. Flu Pandemic of 1889-1890 (Russian Flu)
The Russian flu pandemic of 1889-1890 was caused by an influenza A virus subtype H3N8. It spread rapidly across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality.
11. The Plague of Athens (430-426 BC)
The Plague of Athens struck during the Peloponnesian War and is one of the earliest recorded pandemics. Its exact cause remains uncertain, but it resulted in a significant loss of life, including the Athenian leader Pericles.
12. The Antonine Plague (165-180 AD)
The Antonine Plague, believed to be either smallpox or measles, affected the Roman Empire during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. It is estimated to have killed millions and severely weakened the empire.
These pandemics have left indelible marks on history, reshaping societies, economies, and even political landscapes. They underscore the vulnerability of human populations to infectious diseases and the importance of public health measures in mitigating their impact.
Each of these pandemics has had significant implications for public health, society, and global affairs, shaping history and influencing the course of human events.