Eleven Deadly Pandemics Human Civilization Faces: From The Mysterious Antonine To COVID-19

Illustration (CDC / Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Perhaps no one knows the true definition of a pandemic. However, scientists and medical researchers agree that a pandemic is identical with the spread of disease on an exaggerated scale. Very wide. Usually occurs in a geographic setting.

Cholera, bubonic plague, smallpox, and influenza are examples. In more detail we will detail the eleven worst pandemics in world history. The following is an overview of the most recent pandemic, to the oldest.

1. COVID-19 (2019-Present)

Death Toll: 1.6 million

Cause: Novel CoronaVirus

The new corona virus (SARS-CoV2) first appeared in the Wuhan area, China. The disease caused by the new corona virus is called COVID-19, which stands for "Coronavirus in 2019".

Reported by MPHonline.com, Monday, December 21, it is known that the virus from Wuhan is spreading rapidly among people. Because it is a new virus, no one on earth is immune to COVID-19.

Even so, initially COVID-19 was only an epidemic in China. However, the disease is slowly spreading around the world due to people's traveling activities.

The World Health Organization (WHO) made COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020. WHO also advises the world's population to always wash their hands and keep a distance to break the chain of spread while waiting for the COVID-19 vaccine to arrive.

2. HIV / AIDS (Peak 2005-2012)

Death Toll: 36 million

Cause: HIV / AIDS

HIV / AIDS was first identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1976. Its presence has since become a global pandemic and killed more than 36 million people since 1981.

There are currently 31 to 35 million people living with HIV. Most of them are in Sub-Saharan Africa where five percent of the population is infected.

Even so, in its development, the world found a way to minimize the transmission of HIV / AIDS. Apart from that, new treatments have also been developed.

3.FLU Hong Kong (1968)

Death Toll: 1 million

Cause: Influenza

Pandemic Flu category two is sometimes referred to as the "Hong Kong Flu." Noted, the flu pandemic occurred in 1968.

The cause is the H3N2 strain of the Influenza A virus, the genetic branch of the H2N2 subtype. In the first case July 13, 1968, it was reported that the flu pandemic took only 17 days to spread to Singapore and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, it took three months to spread to the Philippines, India, Australia, Europe and the United States (US).

4.Asian FLU (1956-1958)

Death Toll: 2 million

Cause: Influenza

Asian flu is a pandemic outbreak of influenza A subtype H2N2. This flu originated in China in 1956, and lasted until 1958.

This flu began to spread to Singapore, Hong Kong and the US after two years. Because of this, the number of deaths from Asian flu varies depending on the source.

However, WHO said the latest tally of the Asian Flu pandemic was at 2 million deaths, 69,800 of them in the US.

5.FLU (1918)

Death Toll: 20-50 million

Cause: Influenza

Between 1918 and 1920, a deadly influenza epidemic swept across the world. The pandemic has infected more than a third of the world's population and killed 20 to 50 million people.

Of the 500 million infected in 1918, the mortality rate was estimated to be ten percent to 25 percent in the first 25 weeks. What distinguishes the 1919 flu pandemic from other influenza outbreaks is the victims.

Influenza previously only killed adolescents and the elderly. Meanwhile, Flu 1918 struck strong and completely healthy young adults. Meanwhile, children and those with weaker immune systems stay alive.

6. Sixth Cholera (1910-1911)

Death Toll: 800 thousand

Cause: Cholera

Like the five previous incarnations, the sixth cholera pandemic originated in India. This pandemic has killed more than 800,000 people before spreading to the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe and Russia.

Not only that. The sixth cholera pandemic was also the source of the last American cholera outbreak (1910-1911).

US health authorities, having learned from the past, are rapidly isolating the infected. In the end, eleven deaths were recorded in the US. By 1923, Cholera cases had reduced dramatically, although it remains constant in India.

7.Russian FLU (1889-1890)

Death Toll: 1 million

Cause: Influenza

Initially this Flu pandemic was called "Asian Flu" or "Russian Flu." This type is considered an outbreak of Influenza A virus subtype H2N2 although recent findings suggest the cause is Influenza A virus subtype H3N8.

The first case of this pandemic came in May 1889. It was even located in three locations far apart, such as Bukhara in Central Asia (Turkestan), Athabasca in northwest Canada, and Greenland.

The spread of this pandemic was allegedly due to the increasing world population in the 19th century, especially from cities. Because of this, this pandemic is spreading all over the world.

8. Third Cholera Pandemic (1852–1860)

Death Toll: 1 million

Cause: Cholera

The third cholera pandemic is generally considered the deadliest of the seven cholera pandemics. The pandemic occurred in the 19th century and lasted from 1852 to 1860.

Like the first and second pandemics, the third cholera pandemic originated in India, spreading from the Ganges Delta, before spreading through Asia, Europe, North America and Africa. More than 1 million people have been recorded as victims of the fierce third cholera pandemic.

9. Black Death (1346-1353)

Death Toll: 75-200 million

Cause: Bubonic Plague

The black death or bubonic plague hit Europe, Africa and Asia from 1346 to 1353. Estimates of the death toll were at 75 and 200 million people.

this plague first appeared thought to have originated in Asia. Transmission is believed to be via ticks that lived on mice that often lived on merchant ships.

Therefore, ports around the world are at the center of the spread of the bubonic plague. Regarding the ferocity of bubonic plague, we have reviewed it more fully in black death writing, "The Plague of Tens of Millions of Lives Taken Away by the Colonial Government".

10. Justinia (541-542 AD)

Death Toll: 25 million

Cause: Bubonic Plague

Justinia was a bubonic plague that ravaged the Byzantine empire and Mediterranean port cities. This pandemic killed up to 25 million people, and caused long terror for a year. Generally, this pandemic is considered to be the first incident of the bubonic plague.

11. Antonine (165-180 AD)

Death Toll: 5 million

Cause: Unknown

The Antonine pandemic was also known as the galen plague. The galen plague is an ancient pandemic that hit Asia Minor, Egypt, Greece, Italy.

This pandemic was also considered as smallpox or measles. However, the real cause is still a mystery to this day.

It is known that this pandemic was brought back to Rome by soldiers returning from Mesopotamia around 165 AD. Without realizing it, the soldiers who came had brought a disease that would kill more than 5 million people, and destroy the Roman army.