1/ A little research about the main #pandemics that affected us throughout history. Contagious diseases had already existed during the nomadic stages of humankind, but the shift to the sedentary life, 10,000 years ago, made the spread of epidemics more often and at larger scales.
2/ The establishment of communities and the development of civilizations with trading routes and activities, and waging wars generated the opportunities for the occurrence of the pandemics that have decimated human populations, and changed the curse of history. 
3/ The earliest recorded pandemic occurred during the Peloponnesian War. It came from Ethiopia and Egypt, reaching Athens in 430 BC. 2/3 of the population died of a suspected typhoid fever. It weakened the Athenians and helped in their defeat by the Spartans.
4/ The Antonine Plague 165 AD, was possibly smallpox that began with the Huns who infected the Germans, who passed it to the Roman troops and them to the Roman empire. It continued until 180 AD. Emperor Marcus Aurelius died from it.
5/ Cyprian Plague, 250 AD, named after the bishop of Carthage, the first victim. Symptoms: fever, diarrhea, vomiting, throat ulcers, and gangrenous hands and feet.
Originated in Ethiopia, it passed through N. Africa, into Rome, and Egypt and northward. It hit Britain in 444 A. D.
Originated in Ethiopia, it passed through N. Africa, into Rome, and Egypt and northward. It hit Britain in 444 A. D.
6/ Justinian Plague 541 A. D. Believed to be the first appearance of the bubonic plague. Started in Egypt, spread to Palestine and the Byzantine Empire, and then to the Mediterranean. The plague crushed Justinian's plans to bring the Roman Empire back together.
7/ The Justinian Plague was credited with the rapid spread of Christianity. Its recurrences over the next 2 centuries eventually killed about 50 million people, 26 % of the world population. It was carried by rats and spread by fleas.
8/ The Black Death, 1350 caused the death of 1/3 of the world population, this 2nd outbreak of the bubonic plague possibly started in Asia and moved west in caravans. Entering Sicily in 1347 A.D. it spread across Europe rapidly.
9/ The Columbian Exchange 1492. At the arrival of the Spanish in the Caribbean, smallpox, measles and bubonic plague were passed on to the natives. With no previous exposure, these diseases caused the death of 90% of the indigenous people.
10/ At the arrival of Christopher Columbus to the island of Hispaniola, he encountered the Taino population at 60,000. By 1548, the population was reduced at less than 500. In 1520, the Aztec Empire was destroyed by a smallpox infection brought by African slaves.
11/ The Great Plague of London 1665-1666, another devastating appearance of the bubonic plague led to the deaths of 20% of London’s population, and hundreds of thousands of cats and dogs were slaughtered as the possible cause of the disease.
12/ 1st Cholera Pandemic 1817. A small intestine infection began in Russia, killed 1 million people. Spreading through feces-infected water and food, the bacteria was passed to British soldiers and then to India, Spain, Africa, Indonesia, China, Japan, Germany, Italy & America.
13/ The Third Plague 1855
Started in China and moved to India and Hong Kong claiming 15 million victims. It’s considered a factor in the Parthay and Taiping rebellions. India faced the more casualties. The pandemic was active until 1960 when cases dropped below hundreds.
Started in China and moved to India and Hong Kong claiming 15 million victims. It’s considered a factor in the Parthay and Taiping rebellions. India faced the more casualties. The pandemic was active until 1960 when cases dropped below hundreds.
14/ Russian Flu 1889. The first flu pandemic started in Siberia and Kazakhstan, moved to Moscow, got to Finland and then Poland, and from there to the rest of Europe. By the next year, crossed the ocean into North America and Africa. By the end of 1890, 360,000 people had died.
15/ Spanish Flu 1918 The avian-borne flu killed 50 to a 100 million people worldwide. The outbreak originated in Madrid, spread to USA and parts of Asia and around the world. There weren’t effective drugs or vaccines to treat it.
16/ Asian flu 1957. Started in Hong Kong and spread across China, the USA. It widespread in England where, in six months, 14,000 people died. A 2nd wave followed in early 1958, causing an estimated total of about 1.1 million deaths globally, with 116,000 deaths in the USA alone.
17/ HIV 1981. AIDS was first observed in American gay communities but is believed to have developed from a chimpanzee virus from West Africa in the 1920s. The treatments slow the progress of the disease, but 35 million people worldwide died of AIDS since its discovery.
18/ SARS 2003. It’s believed to have started with bats, spread to cats and then to humans in China, followed by 26 other countries, infecting 8096 people, and 774 deaths. SARS was a wake-up call to improve outbreak responses, helping to keep H1N1, Ebola and Zika in control.
19/ COVID-19 2019 On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced that the COVID-19 virus was officially a pandemic after spreading to 114 countries in 3 months, and infecting over 118,000 people. And the spread continues at an exponential rate.
20/ The first reported case in China appeared on 11- 17-19. In December 2019 the virus spread beyond Chinese borders. On February 11, 2020 the infection was officially named COVID-19.
F. C. Cartwright, M. Dobson, J.L. Clendening
F. C. Cartwright, M. Dobson, J.L. Clendening
